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In-line monitoring of pH and oxygen during enzymatic reactions in off-the-shelf all-glass microreactors using integrated luminescent microsensors

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Abstract

We describe a maskless photopolymerization technique for integration of luminescent sensors for determination of pH values and dissolved oxygen (DO) into commercially available all-glass microfluidic reactors (in sizes as small as 43 ± 3 μm for both DO and pH sensors). The sensor spots are poly(ethyleneglycol acrylate)-based and obtained by photopolymerization of oligomers in the presence of optical probes for oxygen and pH values, respectively. The resulting devices were applied to in-line monitoring of enzymatic conversions of acetylcholine and glucose (by using acetylcholine esterase and glucose oxidase, respectively) on the microscale. The detection limits are 258 μM and 505 μM for acetylcholine and glucose, respectively. The method has a large potential in terms of monitoring enzymatic and other chemical reactions on the microscale in that it does not require special instrumentation apart from a standard widefield fluorescence microscope.

Microstructures down to 43 μm in diameter and capable of luminescent sensing of pH and dissolved oxygen were integrated inside all-glass microreactors using oligo(ethylene glycol diacrylate)-based photopolymers doped with luminescent probes. The sensors were then used for in-line monitoring of enzymatic conversions of acetylcholine and glucose.

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Acknowledgements

Financial support of this work by the German Research Foundation (DFG, NA 947/1-2 and 2-1) is gratefully acknowledged.

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  1. Stefan Nagl

    Present address: The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, People’s Republic of China

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Analytische Chemie, Universität Leipzig, Johannisallee 29, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    Simon A. Pfeiffer & Stefan Nagl

  2. Institut für Analytische Chemie und Lebensmittelchemie, Technische Universität Graz, Stremayrgasse 9/III, 8010, Graz, Österreich, Austria

    Sergey M. Borisov

  3. Institut für Angewandte Chemie, Fakultät für Naturwissenschaften, Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus-Senftenberg, Großenhainer Straße 57, 01968, Senftenberg, Germany

    Stefan Nagl

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  1. Simon A. Pfeiffer
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Correspondence to Stefan Nagl.

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Pfeiffer, S.A., Borisov, S.M. & Nagl, S. In-line monitoring of pH and oxygen during enzymatic reactions in off-the-shelf all-glass microreactors using integrated luminescent microsensors. Microchim Acta 184, 621–626 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-016-2021-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-016-2021-2

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