Film resonance on acoustic wave devices: The roles of frequency and contacting fluid

The dynamics of composite films of polypyrrole and sodium poly(styrenesulfonate) were studied by means of the electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance. Admittance spectra recorded after successive cycles of electrodeposition showed dramatic changes, which were interpreted in terms of acoustic resonance of the film. Reports of this phenomenon are rare and unquantified, presenting a unique opportunity for the first test of a recently reported theoretical model. The model, valid at frequencies in the vicinity of film resonance, is represented in terms of an equivalent electrical circuit with parallel LCR elements in the motional arm of the resonator. Since it was developed for viscoelastic films exposed to a vacuum, this provides an opportunity to test the importance of the fluid necessarily present in in situ electrochemical experiments. Measurements at the fundamental frequency and at higher harmonics reveal the sensitivity of film resonance effects to frequency and provide insights into film dynamics through the variation of shear moduli with time scale (frequency).