There were two reasons that induced me to plan and to organize this book, the first was the lack of a text entirely devoted to the subject of gas sensors, notwithstanding some books devoted to the various kind of chemical sensors have recently been published. The second reason was the need of introducing the basic topics of gas detection mechanisms to a growing number of researchers active in research and development laboratories of industries and uni versities. The field of chemical sensors is indeed in fast and consistent growth, as it is proved by the increased number of participants to the congresses that were recently held on this subject, namely the Third Meeting on Chemical Sensors (September 24 - 26, 1990, Cleveland), Transducers'' 91 (June 24 - 27, 1991, S. Francisco) and EUROSENSORS V (September 30 - October 3, 1991, Rome). Therefore, this book is mainly intended as a reference text for researchers with a MS degree in physics, chemistry and electrical engineering; it reports the last progresses in the R. & D. and in the technology of gas sensors. I choose to deal specifically with the topic of gas sensors because these devices show a very large number of applications in the domestic and industrial field and they are characterized by a great effort of research and development.

There were two reasons that induced me to plan and to organize this book, the first was the lack of a text entirely devoted to the subject of gas sensors, notwithstanding some books devoted to the various kind of chemical sensors have recently been published. The second reason was the need of introducing the basic topics of gas detection mechanisms to a growing number of researchers active in research and development laboratories of industries and uni versities. The field of chemical sensors is indeed in fast and consistent growth, as it is proved by the increased number of participants to the congresses that were recently held on this subject, namely the Third Meeting on Chemical Sensors (September 24 - 26, 1990, Cleveland), Transducers'' 91 (June 24 - 27, 1991, S. Francisco) and EUROSENSORS V (September 30 - October 3, 1991, Rome). Therefore, this book is mainly intended as a reference text for researchers with a MS degree in physics, chemistry and electrical engineering; it reports the last progresses in the R. & D. and in the technology of gas sensors. I choose to deal specifically with the topic of gas sensors because these devices show a very large number of applications in the domestic and industrial field and they are characterized by a great effort of research and development.

There were two reasons that induced me to plan and to organize this book, the first was the lack of a text entirely devoted to the subject of gas sensors, notwithstanding some books devoted to the various kind of chemical sensors have recently been published. The second reason was the need of introducing the basic topics of gas detection mechanisms to a growing number of researchers active in research and development laboratories of industries and uni versities. The field of chemical sensors is indeed in fast and consistent growth, as it is proved by the increased number of participants to the congresses that were recently held on this subject, namely the Third Meeting on Chemical Sensors (September 24 - 26, 1990, Cleveland), Transducers'' 91 (June 24 - 27, 1991, S. Francisco) and EUROSENSORS V (September 30 - October 3, 1991, Rome). Therefore, this book is mainly intended as a reference text for researchers with a MS degree in physics, chemistry and electrical engineering; it reports the last progresses in the R. & D. and in the technology of gas sensors. I choose to deal specifically with the topic of gas sensors because these devices show a very large number of applications in the domestic and industrial field and they are characterized by a great effort of research and development.