Data analysis for chemical sensor arrays

Arrays were introduced in the mid-eighties as a method to counteract the cross-selectivity of gas sensors. Their use has since become a common practice in sensor applications [1]. The great advantage of this technique is that once arrays are matched with proper multivariate data analysis, the use of non-selective sensors for practical applications becomes possible. Again in the eighties, Persaud and Dodds argued that such arrays has a very close connection with mammalian olfaction systems. This conjecture opened the way to the advent of electronic noses [2], a popular name for chemical sensor arrays used for qualitative analysis of complex samples. It is worth remarking that a gas sensor array is a mere mathematical construction where the sensor outputs are arranged as components of a vector. Arrays can also be utilized to investigate the properties of chemical sensors, or even better, the peculiar behaviour of a sensor as a component of an array. In this chapter, the more common sensor array methodologies are critically reviewed, including the most general steps of a multivariate data analysis. The application of such methods to the study of sensor properties is also illustrated through a practical example.