Sauerbrey equation
The Sauerbrey equation was developed by the German Günter Sauerbrey in 1959, while working on his doctoral thesis at the Technical University of Berlin, Germany. It is a method for correlating changes in the oscillation frequency of a piezoelectric crystal with the mass deposited on it. He simultaneously developed a method for measuring the characteristic frequency and its changes by using the crystal as the frequency determining component of an oscillator circuit. His method continues to be used as the primary tool in quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) experiments for conversion of frequency to mass and is valid in nearly all applications. The equation is derived by treating the deposited mass as though it were an extension of the thickness of the underlying quartz. Because of this, the mass to frequency correlation (as determined by Sauerbrey’s equation) is largely independent of electrode geometry. This has the benefit of allowing mass determination without calibration, making the set-up desirable from a cost and time investment standpoint. The Sauerbrey equation is defined as: where: – Resonant frequency of the fundamental mode (Hz) – normalized frequency change (Hz) – Mass change (g) – Piezoelectrically active crystal area (Area between electrodes, cm2) – Density of quartz