Separation of natural antioxidants using PDMS electrophoresis microchips coupled with amperometric detection and reverse polarity.

This report describes the use of PDMS ME coupled with amperometric detection for rapid separation of ascorbic, gallic , ferulic, p-coumaric acids using reverse polarity. ME devices were fabricated in PDMS by soft lithography and detection was accomplished using an integrated carbon fiber working electrode aligned in the end-channel configuration. Separation and detection parameters were investigated and the best conditions were obtained using a run buffer consisting of 5 mM phosphate buffer (pH 6.9) and a detection voltage of 1.0 V versus Ag/AgCl reference electrode. All compounds were separated within 70 s using gated injection mode with baseline resolution and separation efficiencies between 1200 and 9000 plates. Calibration curves exhibited good linearity and the LODs achieved ranged from 1.7 to 9.7 µM. The precision for migration time and peak height provided maximum values of 4% for the intrachip studies. Lastly, the analytical method was successfully applied for the analysis of ascorbic and gallic acids in commercial beverage samples. The results achieved using ME coupled with amperometric detection were in good agreement with the values provided by the supplier. Based on the data reported here, the proposed method shows suitability to be applied for the routine analysis of beverage samples.

Modification of microfluidic paper-based devices with silica nanoparticles.

This paper describes a silica nanoparticle-modified microfluidic paper-based analytical device (µPAD) with improved color intensity and uniformity for three different enzymatic reactions with clinical relevance (lactate, glucose, and glutamate). The µPADs were produced on a Whatman grade 1 filter paper and using a CO2 laser engraver. Silica nanoparticles modified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane were then added to the paper devices to facilitate the adsorption of selected enzymes and prevent the washing away effect that creates color gradients in the colorimetric measurements. According to the results herein described, the addition of silica nanoparticles yielded significant improvements in color intensity and uniformity. The resulting µPADs allowed for the detection of the three analytes in clinically relevant concentration ranges with limits of detection (LODs) of 0.63 mM, 0.50 mM, and 0.25 mM for lactate, glucose, and glutamate, respectively. An example of an analytical application has been demonstrated for the semi-quantitative detection of all three analytes in artificial urine. The results demonstrate the potential of silica nanoparticles to avoid the washing away effect and improve the color uniformity and intensity in colorimetric bioassays performed on µPADs.

Fast and versatile fabrication of PMMA microchip electrophoretic devices by laser engraving.

This paper describes the effects of different modes and engraving parameters on the dimensions of microfluidic structures produced in PMMA using laser engraving. The engraving modes included raster and vector, while the explored engraving parameters included power, speed, frequency, resolution, line-width, and number of passes. Under the optimum conditions, the technique was applied to produce channels suitable for CE separations. Taking advantage of the possibility to cut-through the substrates, the laser was also used to define solution reservoirs (buffer, sample, and waste) and a PDMS-based decoupler. The final device was used to perform the analysis of a model mixture of phenolic compounds within 200 s with baseline resolution.

Recent advances in low-cost microfluidic platforms for diagnostic applications.

The use of inexpensive materials and cost-effective manufacturing processes for mass production of microfluidic devices is very attractive and has spurred a variety of approaches. Such devices are particularly suited for diagnostic applications in limited resource settings. This review describes the recent and remarkable advances in the use of low-cost substrates for the development of microfluidic devices for diagnostics and clinical assays. Thus, a plethora of new and improved fabrication methods, designs, capabilities, detections, and applications of microfluidic devices fabricated with paper, plastic, and threads are covered.

Rapid prototyping of polymeric electrophoresis microchips with integrated electrodes for contactless conductivity detection.

A simple and easy approach to produce polymeric microchips with integrated copper electrodes for capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (C4D) is described. Copper electrodes were fabricated using a printed circuit board (PCB) as an inexpensive thin-layer of metal. The electrode layout was first drawn and laser printed on a wax paper sheet. The toner layer deposited on the paper sheet was thermally transferred to the PCB surface working as a mask for wet chemical etching of the copper layer. After the etching step, the toner was removed with an acetonitrile-dampened cotton. A poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) film coated with a thin thermo-sensitive adhesive layer was used to laminate the PCB plate providing an insulator layer of the electrodes to perform C4D measurements. Electrophoresis microchannels were fabricated in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) by soft lithography and reversibly sealed against the PET film. These hybrid PDMS/PET chips exhibited a stable electroosmotic mobility of 4.25 ± 0.04 × 10-4 V cm-2 s-1, at pH 6.1, over fifty runs. Efficiencies ranging from 1127 to 1690 theoretical plates were obtained for inorganic cations.