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A labchip for highly selective and sensitive electrochemiluminescence detection of Hg2+ ions in aqueous solution employing integrated amorphous thin film diodes

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Abstract

An electrochemiluminescence (ECL) based detection of Hg2+ ions using a novel monolithically integrated labchip technology has been developed. The combination of a chemical sensor molecule, the azacrown ether appended trisphenanthroline ruthenium(II) complex 1, and an amorphous silicon based pin-diode detects an exceptionally low concentration of 66 nM according to a device current of 1.85 pA, respectively. To support a high sensitivity, fluid volumes of 1.2 or 1.8 nL in the designed measuring cells are investigated by an amorphous silicon based pin-diode at a constant flow rate of 1 μL min−1. The working electrode area can be specified for both cells to 0.06 or 0.09 mm2 according to a photosensitive detector area of 400 or 500 μm in diameter. Corresponding to the distance between the monolithic integrated polymer based microcapillary and the sensing pin-diode layers of ∼150 μm the detector solid angle was calculated to 73.3°. The fabrication methodology and the experimental details are presented. Furthermore, performance metrics including diode characteristics, detection limit, transient current behavior, dynamic range, and linearity are reported. Additionally, the chemical structure, the ECL response towards different metal ions, and the relationship between ECL intensity of 1 and the concentration of Hg2+ ions are shown.

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the “Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft” (DFG) under contract “DFG BO 772” and “DFG SCHM 647/13”. The authors are grateful to their colleagues at the “Research Center for Micro- and Nanochemistry and -Engineering” (Cμ) in Siegen and would like to thank Dipl.-Ing. G. Spickermann for the development of the experimental hardware during his diploma thesis and valuable personal discussions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Microsystem Technologies, University of Siegen, Hölderlinstr. 3, 57076, Siegen, Germany

    Heiko Schäfer & Markus Böhm

  2. Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 2, 57068, Siegen, Germany

    Hengwei Lin & Michael Schmittel

Authors
  1. Heiko Schäfer
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  2. Hengwei Lin
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  3. Michael Schmittel
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  4. Markus Böhm
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Correspondence to Heiko Schäfer.

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Schäfer, H., Lin, H., Schmittel, M. et al. A labchip for highly selective and sensitive electrochemiluminescence detection of Hg2+ ions in aqueous solution employing integrated amorphous thin film diodes. Microsyst Technol 14, 589–599 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-007-0439-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-007-0439-5

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