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With the reduction of large oil spills because of stricter regulations and safety measures, the question of how to manage smaller oil spills arises. Few on-site analytical tools are available for first responders or other law enforcement personnel to rapidly test for crude oil in the early management of localized polluted areas. The approach reported here relies on well-described computer-assisted multivariate data analysis of the intrinsic fluorescence fingerprints of crude oils to build a multivariate model for the rapid classification of crude oils and the prediction of their properties. Thanks to a dedicated robust portable reader, the method allowed classification and accurate prediction of various properties of crude oil samples like density (according to API, the American Petroleum Institute and viscosity as well as composition parameters such as volume fractions of paraffins or aromatics. In this way, autonomous operation in on-site or in-the-field applications becomes possible based on the direct (undiluted and untreated) measurement of samples and a rapid, tablet-operated readout system to yield a robust and simple analytical test with superior performance. Testing in real-life scenarios allowed the successful classification and prediction of a number of oil spill samples as well as weathered samples that closely resemble samples collected by first responders.
This contribution reports the development of a polymerizable BODIPY-type fluorescent probe targeting small-molecule carboxylates for incorporation into molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). The design of the probe crosslinker includes a urea recognition site p-conjugated to the 3-position of the BODIPY core and two methacrylate moieties. Titration experiments with a carboxylate-expressing antibiotic, levofloxacin (LEVO), showed a blue shift of the absorption band as well as a broadening and decrease in emission, attributed to hydrogen bonding between the probe’s urea group and the carboxylate group of the antibiotic. Using this probe crosslinker, core–shell particles with a silica core and a thin MIP shell were prepared for the detection of LEVO. The MIP exhibited highly selective recognition of LEVO, with an imprinting factor of 18.1 compared to the non-imprinted polymer. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the core–shell structure and spectroscopic studies revealed that the receptor’s positioning leads to a unique perturbation of the polymethinic character of the BODIPY chromophore, entailing the favourable responses. These features are fully preserved in the MIP, whereas no such response was observed for competitors such as ampicillin. The sensory particles allowed to detect LEVO down to submicromolar concentrations in dioxane. We have developed here for the first time a BODIPY probe for organic carboxylates and incorporated it into polymers using the imprinting technique, paving the way for BODIPY-type fluorescent MIP sensors.
Bacterial adhesion on surfaces of medical, water and food applications may lead to infections, water or food spoilage and human illness. In comparison to traditional static and macro flow chamber assays for biofilm formation studies, microfluidic chips allow in situ monitoring of biofilm formation under various flow regimes, have better environment control and smaller sample requirements.
In this work, a novel microfluidic platform is developed to investigate biofilm adhesion under precisely controlled bacteria concentration, temperature, and flow conditions. This platform central unit is a single-inlet microfluidic flow cell with a 5 mm wide chamber designed and tested to achieve ultra-homogenous flow in the central area of chamber. Within this area, defined microstructures are integrated that will disturb the homogeneity of the flow, thus changing bacterial adhesion pattern.
Here we present the monitoring of bacterial biofilm formation in a microfluidic chip equipped with a microstructure known as micro-trap. This feature is based on a 3D bacteria trap designed by Di Giacomo et al. and successfully used to sequester motile bacteria.
At first, fluorescent particles similar in size to Escherichia coli (E. coli) are used to simulate bacteria flow inside the flow cell and at the micro-trap. The turbulences induced by the trap are analyzed by imaging and particle tracking velocimetry (PTV). Secondly, the model strain E. coli TG1, ideal and well described for biofilm studies, is used to analyze biofilm formation in the micro-trap. Therefore, a stable fluorescent strain E. coli TG1-MRE-Tn7-141 is constructed by using Tn7 transposon mutagenesis according to the method described by Schlechter et al. Sequestering of E. coli cells within the micro-trap was followed using epifluorescence microscopy.
The novel microfluidic platform shows great potential for assessment of bacterial adhesion under various flow regimes. The performance of structural feature with respect to the generation of turbulences that promote or reduce bacterial adhesion can be systematically examined.
The combination of flow analysis and fluorescent strain injection into the microfluidic chip shows that the micro-trap is useful for capturing bacteria at defined positions and to study how flow conditions, especially micro-turbulences, can affect biofilm formation. It represents a powerful and versatile tool for studying the relation between topography and bacteria adhesion.
Immunoassays, based on the recognition and capture of analytes by highly selective antibodies, are now used extensively in all areas of diagnostics, but the challenge is to further integrate them into online sensors. To improve the transition from laboratory immunoassays to immunosensors, we have developed a complete flow system, based on a microfluidic core flow cell to enable automated detection of one of the most commonly used immunoassay substrates, TMB, by chronoamperometry. The architecture and fluidic optimisation of the system showed that a specially designed 3D flow cell allows higher flow rates (500 μL min−1) than a standard enlarged microfluidic channel (50 μL min−1) resulting in a significantly shorter detection time of 30 seconds per sample and making the system more robust against interferences due to bubble formation in the chip. The electrochemical measurements showed an improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and thus higher sensitivity for a model immunoassay for diclofenac (SNR = 59), compared to the analytical performance of a conventional laboratory microplate-based assay with optical detection (SNR = 19). In general, this system facilitates the conversion of any conventional immunoassay into an immunosensor with automatic and continuous detection.
Contamination of natural bodies of water or soil with oils and lubricants (or generally, hydrocarbon derivatives such as petrol, fuels, and others) is a commonly found phenomenon around the world due to the extensive production, transfer, and use of fossil fuels. In this work, we develop a simple system for the on-field detection of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) in water and soil. The test is based on the measurement of the fluorescence signal emitted by the molecular rotor 2-[ethyl[4-[2-(4-nitrophenyl)ethenyl]phenyl]amino]ethanol (4-DNS-OH). This dye is embedded in a hydrophobic polymeric matrix (polyvinylidene fluoride), avoiding interactions with water and providing a robust support for use in a test strip fashion. Together with the strips, an embedded optical system was designed for fluorescence signal read-out, featuring a Bluetooth low-energy connection to a commercial tablet device for data processing and analysis. This system works for the detection and quantification of TPHs in water and soil through a simple extraction protocol using a cycloalkane solvent with a limit of detection of 6 ppm. Assays in surface and sea waters were conclusive, proving the feasibility of the method for in-the-field operation.
Microbial contamination of fuels by fungi or bacteria poses risks such as corrosion and fuel system fouling, which can lead to critical problems in refineries and distribution systems and has a significant economic impact at every stage of the process. Many factors have been cited as being responsible for microbial growth, like the presence of water in the storage tanks. In fact, only 1 % water in a storage system is sufficient for the growth of microorganisms like bacteria or yeasts, as well as for the development of fungal biomass at the oil/water interface.
This work presents a rapid test for the accurate determination of genomic DNA from aqueous fuel extracts. The detection is based on the use of polystyrene-mesoporous silica core-shell particles onto which modified fluorescent molecular beacons are covalently grafted. These beacons contain in the hairpin loop a target sequence highly conserved in all bacteria, corresponding to a fragment of the 16S ribosomal RNA subunit. The designed single-stranded molecular beacon contained fluorescein as an internal indicator and a quencher in its proximity when not hybridized. Upon hybridization in presence of the target sequence, the indicator and the quencher are spatially separated, resulting in fluorescence enhancement. To perform the assay the developed particles were deposited on different glass fibre strips to obtain a portable and sensitive rapid test. The assays showed that the presence of genomic DNA extracts from bacteria down to 50–70 μg L–1 induced a fluorescence response. The optical read-out was adapted for on-site monitoring by fitting a 3D-printed case to a conventional smartphone, taking advantages of the sensitivity of the CMOS detector. Such embedded assembly enabled the detection of genomic DNA in aqueous extracts down to the mg L–1 range and represents an interesting step toward on-site monitoring of fuel contamination.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of man-made organo-fluorine chemicals that have become environmental contaminants of emerging concern, originating from a variety of materials such as adhesive, stain- and oil-resistant coatings, firefighting foams, etc. The high strength of this C-F bond makes PFAS thermodynamically stable and resistant to (bio)degradation, thus retaining them in the environment over time. Perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs), one category of the most used PFAS, consist of a fully fluorinated carbon backbone and a charged carboxylic acid headgroup, and have been classified as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) and added to the REACH Candidate List due to their persistence in the environment, non-biodegradability and toxicological effects.[1-2] Traditional techniques for the analysis of PFCAs include GC-MS, HRMS and HPLC-based approaches, which are laborious, not portable, costly and require trained personnel. In contrast, fluorescence assays can be designed as easy-to-operate, portable and cost-effective methods with high sensitivity and fast response. Integration of fluorescent probes with an adequately miniaturized assay enables a promising alternative for PFCAs analysis.
Here, a novel guanidine fluorescent probe has been synthesized and fully characterized for the detection of PFCAs in a biphasic extract-&-detect assay. The fluorescent probe was then incorporated into polymeric matrices supported by a red dye-doped SiO2 nanoparticle to construct a dual-emission sensing platform. Such a system allows precise and selective detection of PFCAs, reducing the interference of competitors, matrix effects and other factors except for the PFCAs. The system was then employed in a droplet-based microfluidic setup which offers a portable and easy to operate detection platform.
The reliable identification and quantitation of phosphorylated amino acids, peptides and proteins is one of the key challenges in contemporary bioanalytical research, an area of particular interest when attempting to diagnose and treat diseases at an early stage. We have developed a synthetic probe for targeting phosphorylated amino acids, based on core–shell submicron-sized particles consisting of a silica core, coated with a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) shell. The MIP layer contains a fluorescent probe crosslinker which binds selectively to phosphorylated tyrosine (pY) moieties with a significant imprinting factor (IF) and responds with a "light-up” fluorescence signal. The bead-based ratiometric detection scheme has been successfully transferred to a microfluidic chip format and its applicability to rapid assays has been exemplarily shown by discriminating a pY-terminating oligopeptide against its nonphosphorylated counterpart. Such miniaturised devices could lead to an automated pY or pY N-terminated peptide measurement system in the future. The setup combines a modular microfluidic system for amino acid derivatisation, extraction (by micropillar co-flow) and selective adsorption and detection with the fluorescent MIP core–shell particle probes. A miniaturised optical assembly for low-light fluorescence measurements was also developed, based on miniaturised opto-electronic parts and optical fibres. The emission from the MIP particles upon binding of pY or pY N-terminated peptides could be monitored in real-time.
In the present paper the development of a semi-automated device for long-term monitoring of gaseous ammonia is described. A sensor material was produced that changes its optical properties in the pres-ence of low concentrations of ammonia in air. The implementation into an electronic device enables precise, simple, economic and fast monitoring of low concentrations of harmful gases, like ammonia, and hence can help to improve the climate monitoring in livestock housing, barns or stables.
The present paper describes the development of a sensor material that changes its fluorescence in the presence of gaseous ammonia in a relevant concentration range. The implementation into a semi-automatic gas measurement device enables low-cost, precise, simple and fast monitoring of low con-centrations of harmful gases, like ammonia, and hence can help to improve the climate monitoring in livestock housing, barns or stables.
The globe's seas were used as dumping ground after the world wars and those millions of ammunition, most of all containing 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), represent a pressing danger for fishermen, dredging operations, submarine cable installations and tourism. We developed an extremely selective indication method for TNT based on a specific reaction that produces a highly fluorescent compound. The indication system was integrated into a microfluidic PDMS chip for the solid-liquid extraction of TNT from water samples, offering environmental monitoring possibilities. Combining the advantages of a light-up indicator, microfluidics and a smartphone as detector, the embedded sensor allows for the remote and rapid detection of TNT down to ng in surface and sea waters.
Microbial contamination of fuels by fungi and bacteria presents risks of corrosion and fuel system fouling. In this work, a rapid test for the determination of microbial genomic DNA from aqueous fuel extracts is presented. It combines test strips coated with polystyrene core/mesoporous silica shell particles, to the surface of which modified fluorescent molecular beacons are covalently grafted, with a smartphone detection system. In the hairpin loop, the beacons incorporate a target sequence highly conserved in all bacteria, corresponding to a fragment of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene, which is also present to a significant extent in the 18S rRNA gene of fungi, allowing for broadband microbial detection. In the developed assay, the presence of genomic DNA extracts from bacteria and fungi down to ca. 20−50 μg L−1 induced a distinct fluorescence response. The optical read-out was adapted for on-site monitoring by combining a 3D-printed case with a conventional smartphone, taking advantage of the sensitivity of contemporary complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) detectors. Such an embedded assembly allowed to detect microbial genomic DNA in aqueous extracts down to ca. 0.2−0.7 mg L−1 and presents an important step toward the on-site uncovering of fuel contamination in a rapid and simple fashion.
Gasoline adulteration is a frequent problem world-wide, because of the chance of quick, maximized profits. However, addition of cheaper ethanol or hydrocarbons like kerosene does not only result in economic damage but also poses problems for vehicles and the environment. To enable law enforcement forces, customers or enterprises to uncover such a fraudulent activity directly upon suspicion and without the need to organize for sampling and laboratory analysis, we developed a simple strip-based chemical test. Key to the favorable performance was the dedicated materials tailoring, which led to test strips that consisted of a cellulose support coated with silica, passivated with hexamethyldisilazane and functionalized covalently with a molecular probe. The probe fluoresces brightly across a broad solvent polarity range, enabling reliable quantitative measurements and data analysis with a conventional smartphone. The assays showed high reproducibility and accuracy, allowing not only for the detection of gasoline adulteration but also for the on-site monitoring of the quality of commercial E10 gasoline.
Chlorination of pool water and wastewater, in food and pharmaceutical production, as well as in pesticide and paper manufacturing is a routinely used technique. However, the amount of chlorine in water must be strictly adjusted, to ensure enough concentration to kill pathogenic bacteria and viruses, while preventing too high concentrations inducing negative effects on human health. As an indicator, a molecular fluorescent probe based on a BODIPY structure was designed. This indicator exhibits a sensitive and selective fluorescence response upon increasing concentrations of hypochlorite in aqueous solvent mixtures. Real-time analyses became possible after the integration of this fluorescent indicator into newly designed 2D & 3D microfluidic chips incorporating a passive sinusoidal mixer and a micro-hydrocyclone, respectively. A comparison of the two microfluidic systems, including their ability to prevent accumulation or circulation of microbubbles, has shown excellent fluidic behaviour for the micro-hydrocyclone device. This system was distinctly more robust against gas bubbles, showed a higher signal gain and allowed to halve the limit of detection to 0.02 mg L–1. The use of the 3D system to quantify the chlorine content of pool water samples for sensitive and quantitative chlorine monitoring has been demonstrated.
This paper describes the development of a semi-automatic gas measurement device presenting potentially a broad range of applications, noteworthy in the agricultural sector. Non-reversible fluorescent molecular sensors were designed and syn-thesized. Upon, integration into a hydrogel matrix with an optimal ratio of co-solvents, the sensors reacting selectively to ammonia were illuminated by excitation light to produce a concentration-correlated fluorescence emission. An automated mechanical-elec-trical device initiates a given gas mixture and thus simulates con-centrations similar to a threshold value. The aim of this project is to develop a sensor or a low-cost method which can monitor low concentrations of harmful gases and aid in their elimination or regulation in livestock housing, barns or stables.
Chlorination procedures are commonly applied in swimming pool water and wastewater treatment, yet also in food, pharmaceutical, and paper production. The amount of chlorine in water needs to be strictly controlled to ensure efficient killing of pathogens but avoid the induction of negative health effects. Miniaturized microfluidic fluorescence sensors are an appealing approach here when aiming at online or at-site measurements. Two meso-enamine-substituted boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) dyes were found to exhibit favorable indication properties, their reaction with hypochlorite leading to strong fluorescence enhancement. Real-time assays became possible after integration of these fluorescent probes with designed two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) microfluidic chips, incorporating a passive sinusoidal mixer and a microhydrocyclone, respectively. A comparison of the two microfluidic systems, including their abilities to prevent accumulation or circulation of microbubbles produced by the chemical indication reaction, showed excellent fluidic behavior for the microhydrocyclone-based device. After coupling to a miniaturized optical reader for fluorescence detection, the 2D microfluidic system showed a promising detection range of 0.04−0.5 mg L−1 while still being prone to bubble-induced fluctuations and suffering from considerably low signal gain. The microhydrocyclone-based system was distinctly more robust against gas bubbles, showed a higher signal gain, and allowed us to halve the limit of detection to 0.02 mg L−1. The use of the 3D system to quantify the chlorine content of swimming pool water samples for sensitive and quantitative chlorine monitoring was demonstrated.
Because of the globally increasing prevalence of diabetes, the need for accurate, efficient and at best miniaturized automated analytical systems for sugar detection in medical diagnostics and the food industry is still urgent. The development of molecular probes for sugars based on boronic acid receptors offers an excellent alternative to the kinetically slow enzyme-based sugar sensors. Moreover, by coupling such chelating units with dye scaffolds like BODIPYs (boron–dipyrromethenes), highly fluorescent sugar sensing schemes can be realized. In this work, a boronic acid-functionalized BODIPY probe was developed, which binds selectively to fructose’s adjacent diols to form cyclic boronate esters. Placement of an amino group in direct neighborhood of the boronic acid moiety allowed us to obtain a broad working range at neutral pH, which distinguishes the probe from the majority of systems working only at pH > 8, while still meeting the desired sensitivity in the micro-molar range due to a pronounced analyte-induced fluorescence increase. To enhance the applicability of the test in the sense described above, integration with a microfluidic chip was achieved. Here, fructose was selectively detected by fluorescence with similar sensitivity in real time on chip, and an assay for the straightforward detection of sugar in (colored) sodas without sample clean-up was established.
2,4-D ist ein in der Landwirtschaft weitverbreitetes Pflanzenschutzmittel, das Grundwasser kontaminiert, sich innerhalb der Nahrungskette anreichert und Umwelt- und Gesundheitsprobleme verursachen kann. Hier stellen die Autoren ein mikrofluidisches Nachweissystem für die Echtzeitdetektion von 2,4-D in Grund- oder Oberflächenwasser vor. Es basiert auf der Kombination 2,4-D-selektiver, fluoreszierender, molekular geprägter Polymer-(MIP-)Mikropartikel mit einem 3D-mikrofluidischen Extraktions- und Detektionssystem. Messungen vor Ort sollen damit künftig möglich sein.
Fluorescent sensory MIP (molecularly imprinted polymer) particles were combined with a droplet-based 3D microfluidic system for the selective determination of a prototype small-molecule analyte of environmental concern, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid or 2,4-D, at nanomolar concentration directly in water samples. A tailor-made fluorescent indicator cross-linker was thus designed that translates the binding event directly into an enhanced fluorescence signal. The phenoxazinone-type cross-linker was co-polymerized into a thin MIP layer grafted from the surface of silica microparticles following a RAFT (reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer) polymerization protocol. While the indicator cross-linker outperformed its corresponding monomer twin, establishment of a phase-transfer protocol was essential to guarantee that the hydrogen bond-mediated signalling mechanism between the urea binding site on the indicator cross-linker and the carboxylate group of the analyte was still operative upon real sample analysis. The latter was achieved by integration of the fluorescent core-shell MIP sensor particles into a modular microfluidic platform that allows for an in-line phasetransfer assay, extracting the analyte from aqueous sample droplets into the organic phase that contains the sensor particles. Real-time fluorescence determination of 2,4-D down to 20 nM was realized with the system and applied for the analysis of various surface water samples collected from different parts of the world.
Mit Tröpfchen Spielen
(2018)
Mikrofluidische Systeme sind leistungsstarke analytische Tools mit attraktiven Eigenschaften wie miniaturisierter Größe, geringem Reagenzien und Probenverbrauch, schneller Ansprech- und kurzer Messzeit. Der Bedarf solcher leistungsstarken, miniaturisierten und direkt vor Ort anwendbaren Sensorsysteme steigt kontinuierlich, hauptsächlich durch das Bedürfnis der Gesellschaft, schneller, besser und umfassender über kritische Faktoren im Lebens- und Arbeitsumfeld sowie der Umwelt informiert zu sein.
Playing with Droplets
(2018)
Microfluidic devices are powerful analytical tools with appealing features such as miniaturized size, low reagent and sample consumption, rapid response and short measurement times. As society wants to be ever better, earlier and more comprehensively informed about critical factors in life, work, and the environment, the demand for powerful measurement devices for use outside of the laboratory constantly increases.
This paper describes a wireless mobile prototype able to perform optical measurements by means of a miniatur-ized spectrometer for low light analysis, e.g. fluorescent sensors. Evaluations, calculations, calibration management and result display are performed by a computer or a standard tablet. The device was designed primarily to detect traces of oil in drinking or ground water and for the analyses of crude oils. However, it can also address a wide range of fluorescent sensors. The fast and user-friendly inspection of water quality or oil properties, as well as the adaptability and mobility, make the device attractive for a variety of users. Further application areas could be easily imple-mented by adapting the optics and the software (database, data processing and calibration plots, etc.)
Three fluorescent molecular rotors of 4-dimethylamino-4-nitrostilbene (4-DNS) were investigated for their potential use as viscosity probes to indicate the content of kerosene in diesel/kerosene blends, a wide-spread activity to adulterate fuel. In solvents with low viscosity, the dyes rapidly deactivate via a so-called twisted intramolecular charge transfer state, efficiently quenching the fluorescence. Measurements of diesel/kerosene blends revealed a good linear correlation between the decrease in fluorescence and the increase of the fraction of the less viscous kerosene in diesel/kerosene blends. Immobilization of the hydroxy derivative 4-DNS-OH in cellulose paper yielded test strips that preserve the fluorescent indicator's behavior. Combination of the strips with a reader based on a smartphone and a controlling app allowed to create a simple field test. The method can reliably detect the presence of kerosene in diesel from 7 to 100%, outperforming present standard methods for diesel adulteration.
Microfluidic electrochemical immunosensor for the trace analysis of cocaine in water and body fluids
(2018)
Quick but accurate testing and on‐the‐spot monitoring of cocaine in oral fluids and urine continues to be an important toxicological issue. In terms of drug testing, a number of devices have been introduced into the market in recent decades, notably for workplace inspection or roadside testing. However, these systems do not always fulfill the requirements in terms of reliability, especially when low cut‐off levels are required. With respect to surface water, the presence of anthropogenic small organic molecules such as prescription and over‐the‐counter pharmaceuticals as well as illicit drugs like cannabinoids, heroin, or cocaine, has become a challenge for scientists to develop new analytical tools for screening and on‐site analysis because many of them serve as markers for anthropogenic input and consumer behavior. Here, a modular approach for the detection of cocaine is presented, integrating an electrochemical enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) performed on antibody‐grafted magnetic beads in a hybrid microfluidic sensor utilizing flexible tubing, static chip and screen‐printed electrode (SPE) elements for incubation, recognition, and cyclic voltammetry measurements. A linear response of the sensor vs. the logarithm of cocaine concentration was obtained with a limit of detection of 0.15 ng/L. Within an overall assay time of 25 minutes, concentrations down to 1 ng/L could be reliably determined in water, oral fluids, and urine, the system possessing a dynamic working range up to 1 mg/L.
Microfluidic electrochemical immunosensor for the trace analysis of cocaine in water and body fluids
(2018)
Quick but accurate testing and on‐the‐spot monitoring of cocaine in oral fluids and urine continues to be an important toxicological issue. In terms of drug testing, a number of devices have been introduced into the market in recent decades, notably for workplace inspection or roadside testing. However, these systems do not always fulfill the requirements in terms of reliability, especially when low cut‐off levels are required. With respect to surface water, the presence of anthropogenic small organic molecules such as prescription and over‐the‐counter pharmaceuticals as well as illicit drugs like cannabinoids, heroin, or cocaine, has become a challenge for scientists to develop new analytical tools for screening and on‐site analysis because many of them serve as markers for anthropogenic input and consumer behavior. Here, a modular approach for the detection of cocaine is presented, integrating an electrochemical enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) performed on antibody‐grafted magnetic beads in a hybrid microfluidic sensor utilizing flexible tubing, static chip and screen‐printed electrode (SPE) elements for incubation, recognition, and cyclic voltammetry measurements. A linear response of the sensor vs. the logarithm of cocaine concentration was obtained with a limit of detection of 0.15 ng/L. Within an overall assay time of 25 minutes, concentrations down to 1 ng/L could be reliably determined in water, oral fluids, and urine, the system possessing a dynamic working range up to 1 mg/L.
The fluorescence properties of three molecular rotors, related to 4-dimethylamino-4-nitrostilbene (4-DNS), are studied versus different diesel/kerosene blends. In nonviscous solvents, these compounds can populate a twisted intramolecular charge transfer state which deactivates nonradiatively, successfully suppressing fluorescence emission. Solution experiments with diesel/kerosene blends showed a good linear correlation between the fluorescence intensity of the probe molecules and the diesel fraction of the blend. The dyes have been immobilized on paper, retaining their fluorescence behavior, i.e., negligible emission in the presence of nonviscous organic solvents and increasing fluorescence when the environment is increasingly viscous. When the impregnated paper is devised as a test strip, the latter is compatible with a newly designed smartphone reader system, which allows in-the-field measurements. The method can safely detect the presence of kerosene in diesel at ≥7%, which competes favorably with current standard methods for the detection of diesel adulteration.
Fluorescent sensory MIP (molecularly imprinted polymer) particles were combined with a droplet-based 3D microfluidic system for the sensitive and selective determination of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) in water samples. 2,4-D being an important and widely used herbicide to regulate plant growth, its extensive use leads to food or ground water contamination. Analytical assays based on MIP have emerged as a valuable tool in the field of environmental analysis thanks to low production costs, stability, format adaptability and their ability to recognize a wide variety of targets, such as the critical neutral organic molecules present in water: herbicides, pesticides, antibiotics, etc.
To accomplish this, a tailor-made fluorescent indicator cross-linker was designed that translates directly the binding event into an enhanced fluorescence signal. This phenoxazinone-type cross-linker was co-polymerized into a thin MIP layer grafted from the surface of silica microparticles. The latter was achieved by integration of the fluorescent core-shell MIP sensor particles into a modular microfluidic platform that allows for an in-line phase-transfer assay, extracting the analyte from aqueous sample droplets into organic phase droplets that contain the sensor particles.
This tool offering a novel simple and rapid way for the detection of herbicides, real-time fluorescence determination of 2,4-D down to 20 nM was realized with the system and applied for the analysis of worlwide surface water samples.
The identification and quantification of phosphorylated amino acids, peptides and proteins is one of the key challenges in contemporary bioanalytical research, noteworthy to diagnose and treat diseases at an early stage. Small sensing devices like microfluidic chips combined with “smart” detection chemistry and simple data assessment, processing and presentation are attractive in this regard. We developed novel synthetic probes, targeting phosphorylated amino acids, based on core-shell microparticles consisting of a silica core coated with a molecularly imprinted polymer shell (MIP). These “plastic antibodies” which are extremely robust, resist denaturing solvents and high temperatures, can be reproducibly produced at low cost, can potentially overcome many of the problems in the current detection strategies. The MIP layer, containing a fluorescent probe monomer, responds to phosphorylated amino acids such as phosphorylated tyrosine (pTyr) with a significant imprinting factor, i.e. selectivity, higher than 3.5, and a “lighting-up” of its fluorescence accompanied by the development of a strongly red-shifted emission band. The bead-based ratiometric detection scheme has also been successfully transferred to a microfluidic chip format to demonstrate its applicability to rapid assays. Such a device could yield an automated pTyr measurement system in the future. The setup was built by coupling a PDMS/Teflon/glass microfluidic chip with an optical setup for fluorescence measurements able to extract and monitor pTyr concentration from 0.5–200 μM.
A droplet-based microfluidic sensor was developed for the detection of Hg2+ traces in water. The approach uses gated mesoporous nanoparticles loaded with a fluorescent BODIPY dye. The squaraine-based gating mechanism is highly selective for Hg2+ and the indicator release mechanism ensures sensitive detection. The microfluidic system is modular and was assembled from simple PTFE/PFA tubes, while detection was realized with standard optomechanic, optic, and electronic parts. The sensor shows a stable response without memory effects and allows the detection of Hg2+ in water down to 20 ppt.
A novel synthetic strategy toward highly fluorinated BODIPY dyes with exceptional photostabilities relying on sustainable gold catalysis has been developed. A key to the tailored pyrrole precursors is the gold catalysis performed in ionic liquids as the reaction medium, allowing a facile recycling of the catalysts. The dyes prepared are well-matching with the spectral windows of popular rhodamine dyes and possess high brightness while showing a distinctly higher photostability than the rhodamines especially in aprotic solvents.
Currently, the development of portable devices to detect traces of chemical species by real time monitoring is a highly topical research area in the chemical sciences. Indeed, the lowering of standards for pollutants in drinking water requires the development of new technologies and devices. In this context, gated sensory nanoparticle systems for selective and sensitive recognition of targets such as heavy metal ions, small molecules or oligonucleotides are excellent candidates[1,2]. Provided that such sensory delivery systems are highly porous nanoparticles loaded with indicator dyes and capped with bulky stoppers that can be uncapped only by the designated analyte, an integration with a microfluidic tubing system designed for droplet-assisted liquid-liquid extraction enable separation of released from still particle-confined dye by phase-transfer extraction and subsequent selective detection by fluorescence. The incorporation in a simple microfluidic tubing system is an innovative way towards the realization of a sensor for trace analysis of target molecules in real time.
Because of the globally increasing prevalence of diabetes, the need for accurate, efficient and at best miniaturized automated analytical systems for sugar detection is still urgent. The development of molecular probes for sugar based on boronic acid receptors1 offers an excellent alternative to the kinetically slow enzyme-based sugar sensors. Moreover, by coupling such chelating units with rhodamines, fluorescein or BODIPY moieties, colorimetric and/or highly fluorescent sugar sensing schemes can be obtained.2 In this work, a boronic acid-functionalized BODIPY probe is described; it binds selectivity to fructose's adjacent diols to form cyclic boronate esters in partially aqueous solutions, with a broad pH range compatibility and a sensitivity in the micromolar range. To enhance the applicability of the fluorometric test in the sense described above, integration with a microfluidic sensor was achieved. The miniaturization of chemical analysis systems yields many functional and economical benefits such as low cost, ease of use, high stability and good portability. With similar selectivity and sensitivity, fructose was detected by fluorescence in real time in the chip, and an assay for the straightforward detection of sugar in sodas was achieved.