A new calcium-sensor based on ion-selective conductometric microsensors--membranes and features

Ca2+ detection utilising AlGaN/GaN transistors with ion-selective polymer membranes

We demonstrate highly selective and sensitive potentiometric ion sensors for calcium ion detection, operated without the use of a reference electrode. The sensors consist of AlGaN/GaN heterostructure-based transistor devices with chemical functionalisation of the gate area using poly (vinylchloride)-based (PVC) membranes having high selectivity towards calcium ions, Ca²⁺. The sensors exhibited stable and rapid responses when introduced to various concentrations of Ca²⁺. In both 0.01 M KCl and 0.01 M NaCl ionic strength buffer solutions, the sensors exhibited near Nernstian responses with detection limits of less than 10^-7 M, and a linear response range between 10^-7-10^-2 M. Also, detection limits of less than 10^-6 M were achieved for the sensors in both 0.01 M MgCl₂ and 0.01 M LiCl buffer solutions. AlGaN/GaN-based devices for Ca²⁺ detection demonstrate excellent selectivity and response range for a wide variety of applications. This work represents an important step towards multi-ion sensing using arrays of ion-selective field effect transistor (ISFET) devices.

A Ca2+ selective membrane electrode based on calcium-imprinted polymeric nanoparticles

In this work, a Ca²⁺ selective PVC-membrane electrode, utilizing nano-sized Ca²⁺ imprinted polymers as the ionophore, was introduced.

Determination of microcystin-LR in waters in the subnanomolar range by sol-gel imprinted polymers on solid contact electrodes

The present work reports new sensors for the direct determination of Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) in environmental waters. Both selective membrane and solid contact were optimized to ensure suitable analytical features in potentiometric transduction. The sensing layer consisted of Imprinted Sol-Gel (ISG) materials capable of establishing surface interactions with MC-LR. Non-Imprinted Sol-Gel (NISG) membranes were used as negative control. The effects of an ionic lipophilic additive, time of sol-gel polymerization, time of extraction of MC-LR from the sensitive layer, and pH were also studied. The solid contact was made of carbon, aluminium, titanium, copper or nickel/chromium alloys (80 : 20 or 90 : 10). The best ISG sensor had a carbon solid contact and displayed average slopes of 211.3 mV per decade, with detection limits of 7.3 × 10(-10) M, corresponding to 0.75 μg L(-1). It showed linear responses in the range of 7.7 × 10(-10) to 1.9 × 10(-9) M of MC-LR (corresponding to 0.77-2.00 μg L(-1)), thus including the limiting value for MC-LR in waters (1.0 μg L(-1)). The potentiometric-selectivity coefficients were assessed by the matched potential method for ionic species regularly found in waters up to their limiting levels. Chloride (Cl(-)) showed limited interference while aluminium (Al(3+)), ammonium (NH(4)(+)), magnesium (Mg(2+)), manganese (Mn(2+)), sodium (Na(+)), and sulfate (SO(4)(2-)) were unable to cause the required potential change. Spiked solutions were tested with the proposed sensor. The relative errors and standard deviation obtained confirmed the accuracy and precision of the method. It also offered the advantages of low cost, portability, easy operation and suitability for adaptation to flow methods.

Towards fully integrated wireless impedimetric sensors

We report on the design and characterization of the building blocks of a single-chip wireless chemical sensor fabricated with a commercial complementary metal-oxide-silicon (CMOS) technology, which includes two types of transducers for impedimetric measurements (4-electrode array and two interdigitated electrodes), instrumentation circuits, and a metal coil and circuits for inductive power and data transfer. The electrodes have been formed with a polycrystalline silicon layer of the technology by a simple post-process that does not require additional deposition or lithography steps, but just etching steps. A linear response to both conductivity and permittivity of solutions has been obtained. Wireless communication of the sensor chip with a readout unit has been demonstrated. The design of the chip was prepared for individual block characterization and not for full system characterization. The integration of chemical transducers within monolithic wireless platforms will lead to smaller, cheaper, and more reliable chemical microsensors, and will open up the door to numerous new applications where liquid mediums that are enclosed in sealed receptacles have to be measured.

Selective detection of live pathogens via surface-confined electric field perturbation on interdigitated silicon transducers

Detection of physical changes of cells is emerging as a new diagnostic approach to determine their phenotypical features. One of such changes is related to their viability; live (viable) cells are more voluminous than the dead ones, and monitoring this parameter in tissue cells becomes essential in fields such as drug discovery and hazard evaluation. In the area of pathogen detection, an analytical system capable of specifically detecting viable cells with the simple sample preparation and detection process would be highly desirable since live microorganisms can rapidly increase their numbers even at extremely low concentration and become a severe health risk. However, current sensing strategies cannot clearly determine the viability of cells, and hence they are susceptible to false-positive signals from harmless dead pathogens. Here we developed a robust electronic immunoassay that uses a pair of polycrystalline silicon interdigitated electrodes for the rapid detection of pathogens with high specificity for live cells. After bacterial cells were specifically anchored to the surface of the antibody-modified electrode, the characteristic geometry of the transducer enables the selective detection of viable cells with a limit of detection of 3 x 10(2) cfu/mL and an incubation time of only 1 h. The CMOS compatible fabrication process of the chip along with the label-free, reagent-less electronic detection and the easy electrode regeneration to recycle for another impedance measurement make this approach an excellent candidate for oncoming economical in-field viable-cell detection systems, fully integrable with sophisticated signal processing circuits.

Conductometric Microbiosensors for Environmental Monitoring

This review presents the principles of conductometric measurements in ionic media and the equivalent electrical circuits of different designs for conductometric measurements. These types of measurements were first applied for monitoring biocatalytic reactions. The use of conductometric microtransducers is then presented and detailed in the case of pollutant detection for environmental monitoring. Conductometric biosensors have advantages over other types of transducers: they can be produced through inexpensive thinfilm standard technology, no reference electrode is needed and differential mode measurements allow cancellation of a lot of interferences. The specifications obtained for the detection of different pesticides, herbicides and heavy metal ions, based on enzyme inhibition, are presented as well as those obtained for the detection of formaldehyde, 4- chlorophenol, nitrate and proteins as markers of dissolved organic carbon based on enzymatic microbiosensors.

Development of novel conductometric biosensors based on immobilised whole cell Chlorella vulgaris microalgae

A novel biosensor based on immobilised whole cell Chlorella vulgaris microalgae as a bioreceptor and interdigitated conductometric electrodes as a transducer has been developed and tested for alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) analysis. These sensors were also used for the detection of toxic compounds, namely cadmium ions, in aquatic habitats. Algae were immobilised inside bovine serum albumin (BSA) membranes cross-linked with glutaraldehyde vapours. The detection of the local conductivity variations caused by algae enzymatic reactions could be achieved. The inhibition of C. vulgaris microalgae Alkaline phosphatase activities in presence of cadmium ions was measured. These results were compared with measurements in bioassays. It finally appeared that conductometric biosensors using algae seemed more sensitive than bioassays to detect low levels of cadmium ions (the detection limit for the first experiments was 1 ppb of Cd2+). The main advantages of these alkaline phosphatase biosensors consist of their high specificity in regard to the toxic compounds they enable to detect, but also on their high stability since contrary to enzymatic biosensors, they use whole algae cells with APs on their walls.