Acousto-electronic gas sensor based on mushroom mycelial extracts

•The quartz resonator and corresponding equivalent circuit may be used for determination of physical parameters of the mycelium films.•The changes in elastic modulus, density and viscosity of the mycelium films of Lentinula edodes due to the presence/absence of targeted gas are reversible.•The mycelium films of Lentinula edodes may be used for fabrication on their basis the sensitive elements of acoustic chemical sensors for registration of the presence of ammonia, ethylacetate and formaldehyde. The main problem in the development of acousto-electronic gas sensors is the search for materials which are sensitive to the presence of different gases. For this purpose in this paper we suggest the use of piezoelectric quartz resonators coated by the mycelium-origin films of the mushroom Lentinula edodes strain F-249, which were cultivated in a synthetic medium. The extract of mycelium was deposited on the surface of the resonator. Measurement of the frequency dependence of the complex electrical impedance of the resonator allowed us to evaluate the density, elastic constants, and mass of the films under test. The influence of different gases, such as ammonia, formaldehyde, ethylacetate, and volatile liquids: acetone, acetic acid, chloroform on the physical properties of the extracts of Lentinula edodes mushroom mycelium was investigated. The results have shown that this material prepared according to different technological procedures is suitable as a sensitive layer for development of gas sensors for detection of ammonia, formaldehyde, and ethylacetate.