Method and apparatus for characterizing the barrier properties of members of combinatorial libraries

A high-throughput method for evaluating a barrier property of a plurality of coatings simultaneously, the method comprising:

• providing a plurality of acoustic wave devices, wherein each of the plurality of acoustic wave devices comprises at least one surface;
• providing a plurality of coating materials suitable for forming a plurality of coatings on the at least one surface of each of the plurality of acoustic wave devices;
• coating each of the plurality of acoustic wave devices with at least one of the plurality of coating materials to form a plurality of coated acoustic wave devices;
• conditioning the plurality of coatings;
• measuring a predetermined output parameter of each of the plurality of coated acoustic wave devices simultaneously;
• exposing the plurality of coated acoustic wave devices to an analyte vapor of a predetermined concentration, partial pressure, and temperature simultaneously;
• measuring the predetermined output parameter of each of the plurality of coated acoustic wave devices simultaneously;
• and
• correlating a change in the predetermined output parameter of each of the plurality of coated acoustic wave devices to the barrier property of each of the plurality of coatings.

An apparatus for evaluating a barrier property of an array of coatings, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of acoustic wave devices, wherein each of the plurality of acoustic wave devices comprises at least one surface, and wherein the plurality of acoustic wave devices are arranged in an array;
• a plurality of coating materials suitable for forming a plurality of coatings on the at least one surface of each of the plurality of acoustic wave devices;
• means for coating each of the plurality of acoustic wave devices with at least one of the plurality of coating materials to form a plurality of coated acoustic wave devices and the array of coatings;
• means for measuring a predetermined output parameter of each of the plurality of coated acoustic wave devices;
• means for exposing the plurality of coated acoustic wave devices to an analyte vapor of a predetermined concentration;
• and
• a correlation factor operable for correlating a change in the predetermined output parameter of each of the plurality of coated acoustic wave devices to the barrier property of each of the plurality of coatings of the array of coatings.

An apparatus for evaluating a barrier property of a plurality of coatings simultaneously, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of acoustic wave devices, wherein each of the plurality of acoustic wave devices comprises at least one surface, and wherein the plurality of acoustic wave devices are arranged in an array;
• a plurality of coating materials suitable for forming a plurality of coatings on the at least one surface of each of the plurality of acoustic wave devices;
• a plurality of wells suitable for containing the plurality of coating materials, wherein the plurality of wells are operable for coating each of the plurality of acoustic wave devices with at least one of the plurality of coating materials to form a plurality of coated acoustic wave devices and the array of coatings;
• means for measuring a predetermined output parameter of each of the plurality of coated acoustic wave devices simultaneously;
• a gas flow cell suitable for containing an analyte vapor of a predetermined concentration, wherein the gas flow cell is operable for exposing the plurality of coated acoustic wave devices to the analyte vapor of a predetermined concentration simultaneously;
• and
• a correlation factor operable for correlating a change in the predetermined output parameter of each of the plurality of coated acoustic wave devices to the barrier property of each of the plurality of coatings of the array of coatings.