Progresses on the theory and application of quartz crystal microbalance

Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) is a nondestructive technique in investigating the physical properties of solid-liquid interfacial layer in situ. It has the capability of quantifying the extremely tiny force change occurring on the interface by measuring the frequency shift Δ f and the energy dissipation change Δ D (or the half-bandwidth variation Δ Γ). The quantitative analysis of QCM results greatly depends on the theoretical models, whose development could generally expand the comprehension of the properties at the interfaces and the application of QCM. In the paper, the progresses on the theory and applications of QCM are reviewed. The commonly used theoretical models for a single layer in the gas/liquid phase are essential for QCM in the fields of biosensor application, surface chemistry study, and interfacial rheology, such as the adsorption of proteins, the polymer and surfactants, and the viscoelastic properties of the interfacial liquid layer. The advanced models, incorporating the effects of boundary slip, surface roughness, microstructure, and micro/nanoscale confinement, are helpful for a better understanding and description of how these factors influence the various interfacial processes occurring on the solid-liquid interface, e.g., interfacial rheology and adsorption. The establishments of nanocell and the corresponding theoretical model make QCM a potential technique in studying the dynamic behavior of micro/nanoscale flow coupling with various surface effects by connecting a micro/nanofluidic channel to the nanocell.