Sample handling for electronic nose technology: State of the art and future trends

Abstract

Recent advances in the sample handling techniques as part of analytical workflow of analysis with electronic nose systems are reviewed. Classic approaches of headspace analysis as well as advanced methods of sample enrichment and dynamic separation are considered and summarized. The efficiency of application of different sampling methods for specific analytical tasks is demonstrated. Special attention is paid to the analysis of present trends of searching the approaches aimed to replace time-consuming and expensive sample preparation procedures with alternative techniques, including development of sensors arrays with adaptive selectivity profiles, creation of sensor interfacial architectures with tunable adsorption properties, advanced experimental data coding and use of classic spectroscopic methods for “virtual” sensor array formation