Do not learn the tricks of the trade, learn the trade I started
teachinggraduate coursesin chemical sensors in early 1980s, ?rst as a o-
quarter (30 h) class then as a semester course and also as several
intensive, 4-5-day courses. Later I organized my lecture notes into the
?rst edition of this book, which was published by Plenum in 1989 under
the title Principles of Chemical Sensors. I started working on the
second edition in 2006. The new edition of Principles of Chemical
Sensors is a teaching book, not a textbook. Let me explain the
difference. Textbooks usually cover some more or less narrow subject in
maximum depth. Such an approach is not possible here. The subject of
chemical sensors is much too broad, spanning many aspects of physical
and analytical chemistry, biochemistry, materials science, solid-state
physics, optics, device fabrication, electrical engine- ing, statistical
analysis, and so on. The challengefor me has been to present uniform
logical coverage of such a large area. In spite of its relatively
shallow depth, it is intended as a graduate course. At its present state
the amount of material is more thancan be coveredin a one-semestercourse
(45h). Two one-quartercourseswould be more appropriate. Because of the
breadth of the material, the sensor course has a somewhat unexpected
but, it is hoped, bene?cial effect.
