Microfluidics in amino acid analysis

Microfluidic devices have been widely used to derivatize, separate, and detect amino acids employing many different strategies. Virtually zero-dead volume interconnections and fast mass transfer in small volume microchannels enable dramatic increases in on-chip derivatization reaction speed, while only minute amounts of sample and reagent are needed. Due to short channel path, fast subsecond separations can be carried out. With sophisticated miniaturized detectors, the whole analytical process can be integrated on one platform. This article reviews developments of lab-on-chip technology in amino acid analysis, it shows important design features such as sample preconcentration, precolumn and postcolumn amino acid derivatization, and unlabeled and labeled amino acid detection with focus on advanced designs. The review also describes important biomedical and space exploration applications of amino acid analysis on microfluidic devices.     

Chemical reactions inside single-walled carbon nano test-tubes

We report the application of SWNTs as templates for forming covalent polymeric chains from C(60)O reacting inside SWNTs; the resulting peapod polymer topology is different from the bulk polymer in that it is linear and unbranched.     

Microfluidics for multiplexed MS analysis

Recent advances of microfluidics systems suitable for multiplexed MS analysis are reviewed with respect to fabrication technologies and applications.     

Size-dependent morphology of dealloyed bimetallic catalysts: linking the nano to the macro scale

Chemical dealloying of Pt binary alloy precursors has emerged as a novel and important preparation process for highly active fuel cell catalysts. Dealloying is a selective (electro)chemical leaching of a less noble metal M from a M rich Pt alloy precursor material and has been a familiar subject of macroscale corrosion technology for decades. The atomic processes occurring during the dealloying of nanoscale materials, however, are virtually unexplored and hence poorly understood. Here, we have investigated how the morphology and intraparticle composition depend on the particle size of dealloyed Pt-Co and Pt-Cu alloy nanoparticle precursor catalysts. To examine the size-morphology-composition relation, we used a combination of high-resolutionscanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron energy loss (EEL) spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and surface-sensitive cycling voltammetry. Our results indicate the existence of three distinctly different size-dependent morphology regimes in dealloyed Pt-Co and Pt-Cu particle ensembles: (i) The arrangement of Pt shell surrounding a single alloy core ("single core-shell nanoparticles") is exclusively formed by dealloying of particles below a characteristic diameter d(multiple cores) of 10-15 nm. (ii) Above d(multiple cores), nonporous bimetallic core-shell particles dominate and show structures with irregular shaped multiple Co/Cu rich cores ("multiple cores-shell nanoparticles"). (iii) Above the second characteristic diameter d(pores) of about 30 nm, the dealloyed Pt-Co and Pt-Cu particles start to show surface pits and nanoscale pores next to multiple Co/Cu rich cores. This structure prevails up to macroscopic bulklike dealloyed particles with diameter of more than 100 nm. The size-morphology-composition relationships link the nano to the macro scale and provide an insight into the existing material gap of dealloyed nanoparticles and highly porous bulklike bimetallic particles in corrosion science.     

Studies of network organization and dynamics of e-beam crosslinked PVPs: From macro to nano

In this work the influence of poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) concentration in water on the organization and dynamics of the corresponding macro-/nanogel networks has been systematically investigated. Irradiation has been performed at the same irradiation dose (within the sterilization dose range) and dose rate. In the selected irradiation conditions, the transition between macroscopic gelation and micro-/nanogels formation is observed just below the critical overlap concentration (～1 wt%), whereas the net prevalence of intra-molecular over inter-molecular crosslinking occurs at a lower polymer concentration (below 0.25 wt%). Dynamic–mechanical spectroscopy has been applied as a classical methodology to estimate the network mesh size for macrogels in their swollen state, while ¹³C NMR spin–lattice relaxation spectroscopy has been applied on both the macrogel and nanogel freeze dried residues to withdraw interesting information of the network spatial organization in the passage of scale from macro to nano.     

Sol–gel matrices for controlled release: from macro to nano using emulsion polymerisation

By combining sol–gel technology with emulsion chemistry, it is possible to produce spherical particles with a designed microstructure based on a judicious choice of solvent/surfactant and sol–gel reaction parameters. When an active molecule is located in the aqueous droplet of a water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion, encapsulation occurs as the silicon precursors polymerise to build an oxide cage around the active species. By changing the solvent–surfactant combination, the particle size can be varied from 10 nm to 100 μm. The size of the particles is controlled by the size of the emulsion droplet, which acts as a nano-reactor for the sol–gel reaction. The release profiles can be tailored, independently of the particle size, by controlling the internal structure of the particles: pore volume, pore size, tortuosity, and surface chemistry (e.g. by introduction of trialkoxysilane). This can be easily achieved by controlling sol–gel processing parameters such as the water-to-alkoxide ratio, pH, alkoxide concentration, ageing, drying time and temperature. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Hyphenation in sample preparation: advancement from the micro to the nano world

Analysis at trace levels, an ideal area of application for hyphenated techniques, is steadily gaining importance. Many sample pre-concentration and clean-up methods have been hyphenated with core analytical techniques to accomplish the task of low level detection. The present article describes the state of the art of hyphenation of various techniques such as solid phase extraction, micro-solid phase extraction, dialysis, and chromatographic modalities etc. with liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, and spectroscopic methods. Besides, attempts have been made to address the hyphenation approach in microfluidic devices.     

MicroTAS 2011: Microfluidics in seattle

Though the lab-on-a-chip-or microfluidics-field can now be considered well established and perhaps even mature after more than two decades, it continues to grow. Type in "lab chip" or "microfluidics" into the Web of ScienceSM and you’ll see what I mean. At the time of writing this article,     

Nanoelectrochemical analysis inside a single living cell

This critical opinion reviews the methods to construct and apply electrodes for analysis inside single cells and of single organelles. Nanoelectrochemical methodology, with an emphasis on nanoelectrode construction and analysis of metabolites, neurotransmitters, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, glucose, oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, and ions in cells are discussed for measurements from cytoplasm to single organelles.     

Microfluidics with MALDI analysis for proteomics—A review

Various microfluidic devices have been developed for proteomic analyses and many of these have been designed specifically for mass spectrometry detection. In this review, we present an overview of chip fabrication, microfluidic components, and the interfacing of these devices to matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry. These devices can be directly coupled to the mass spectrometer for on-line analysis in real-time, or samples can be analyzed on-chip or deposited onto targets for off-line readout. Several approaches for combining microfluidic devices with analytical functions such as sample cleanup, digestion, and separations with MALDI mass spectrometry are discussed.     

Microfluidics in Inorganic Chemistry

The application of microfluidics in chemistry has gained significant importance in the recent years. Miniaturized chemistry platforms provide controlled fluid transport, rapid chemical reactions, and cost‐saving advantages over conventional reactors. The advantages of microfluidics have been clearly established in the field of analytical and bioanalytical sciences and in the field of organic synthesis. It is less true in the field of inorganic chemistry and materials science; however in inorganic chemistry it has mostly been used for the separation and selective extraction of metal ions. Microfluidics has been used in materials science mainly for the improvement of nanoparticle synthesis, namely metal, metal oxide, and semiconductor nanoparticles. Microfluidic devices can also be used for the formulation of more advanced and sophisticated inorganic materials or hybrids.     

Microfluidics technology for manipulation and analysis of biological cells

Analysis of the profiles and dynamics of molecular components and sub-cellular structures in living cells using microfluidic devices has become a major branch of bioanalytical chemistry during the past decades. Microfluidic systems have shown unique advantages in performing analytical functions such as controlled transportation, immobilization, and manipulation of biological molecules and cells, as well as separation, mixing, and dilution of chemical reagents, which enables the analysis of intracellular parameters and detection of cell metabolites, even on a single-cell level. This article provides an in-depth review on the applications of microfluidic devices for cell-based assays in recent years (2002–2005). Various cell manipulation methods for microfluidic applications, based on magnetic, optical, mechanical, and electrical principles, are described with selected examples of microfluidic devices for cell-based analysis. Microfluidic devices for cell treatment, including cell lysis, cell culture, and cell electroporation, are surveyed and their unique features are introduced. Special attention is devoted to a number of microfluidic devices for cell-based assays, including micro cytometer, microfluidic chemical cytometry, biochemical sensing chip, and whole cell sensing chip.     

Advances in nano thermal analysis of coatings

This article discusses AFM-based localized thermal analysis of crosslinked polymer coatings based on a recent breakthrough in nanoscale thermal probe technology. The addition of a thermal tip to a conventional AFM adds a new and valuable capability of spatially resolved thermal analysis to the AFM. It is particularly useful for thin films since it enables the measurement of transition temperatures (melting (T _m) or glass (T _g)) on selected regions of the sample aiding in the identification and characterization of phases on the length scales approaching macromolecular dimensions. Examples include the monitoring of the softening point of automotive clearcoat systems, as a function of cure time and cure temperature and characterization of degradation and embrittlement of weathered acrylic-polyurethane coatings. Comparison of nano thermal analysis with bulk DSC and MDSC is made and its inherent advantages over DSC in analyzing surfaces, is demonstrated.     

Microfluidics for Miniaturized Laboratories on a Chip

Microfluidic systems promise solutions for high throughput and highly specific analysis for biology, medicine and chemistry while consuming only tiny amounts of reactants and space. On these lab‐on‐a‐chip platforms often multiple physical effects such as electrokinetic, acoustic or capillary phenomena from various disciplines are exploited to gain the optimal functionality. The fluidics on these small length scales differ significantly from our experience of the macroscopic world. In this Review we survey some of the approaches and techniques to handle minute amounts of fluid volumes in microfluidic systems with special focus on surface acoustic wave driven fluidics, a technique developed in our laboratory. Here, we outline the basics of this technique and demonstrate, for example, how acoustic mixing and fluid actuation is realized. Furthermore we discuss the interplay of different physical effects in microfluidic systems and illustrate their usefulness for several applications.