By their nature, polymers and polyelectrolytes tend to be very sensitive to changes in their environment. QCM-D is employed to:

• Monitor the hydration/solvation of polymer films in both liquid or gaseous environments
• Follow the crosslinking of polymeric films
• Characterize the incorporation and binding of proteins (and other molecules) to the polymer film
• Complex edifices, such as polyelectrolyte multilayers, can be characterized at any time during their build-up process. Multi-frequency measurements and adapted modeling provide quantification of the film’s thickness and viscoelastic properties

The “feel for the solvent” renders the QCM-D technique particularly adapted for thin films (nanometers to micrometers) that are highly solvated.