A Concentration-Controllable Microfluidic Droplet Mixer for Mercury Ion Detection

Micromachines

Qian-Fang Meng¹  Lang Rao¹  Bo Cai²  Su-Jian You²  Shi-Shang Guo²  Wei Liu¹  Xing-Zhong Zhao²  Andrew deMell² 

[1] Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-Structures of Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430000, China;

关键词: microfluidic;    droplet;    mixer;    Hg(II) ion;    gold nanoparticle;   

DOI  :  10.3390/mi6070915

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

A microfluidic droplet mixer is developed for rapid detection of Hg(II) ions. Reagent concentration and droplets can be precisely controlled by adjusting the flow rates of different fluid phases. By selecting suitable flow rates of the oil phase, probe phase and sample phase, probe droplets and sample droplets can be matched and merged in pairs and subsequently well-mixed in the poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) channels. The fluorescence enhancement probe (Rhodamine B mixed with gold nanoparticles) encapsulated in droplets can react with Hg(II) ions. The Hg(II) ion concentration in the sample droplets is adjusted from about 0 to 1000 nM through fluid regulation to simulate possible various contaminative water samples. The intensity of the emission fluorescence is sensitive to Hg(II) ions (increases as the Hg(II) ion concentration increases). Through the analysis of the acquired fluorescence images, the concentration of Hg(II) ions can be precisely detected. With the advantages of less time, cost consumption and easier manipulations, this device would have a great potential in micro-scale sample assays and real-time chemical reaction studies.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.