Microsensors and Microchips: Fabrication, Characterization and Application

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "C:Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2023) | Viewed by 6825

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Pharmacy College, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
Interests: chemical sensors; potentiometric electrodes; screen-printed microchip; micro-sensors; drug species determination; biological species quantification; environmental species measurements

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Chemical microsensor and microchip-based sensors, particularly screen-printed microchips, have been attracting increasing attention in clinical, environmental, and pharmaceutical analysis. These disposable micron-scale chips with small sample volumes can gently manipulate fluid flow, thus providing more efficient and alternative tools in a broad range of applications, particularly in clinical, environmental and drug analysis. These microsensors have become more popular due to their simple operation, high throughput, parallel analysis, quick response and overall reduced costs, making it much easier to realize product transfer in practical applications. There are many merits offered by such miniaturized devises, including automation and integration feasibility and applicability with flow injection analysis as well as continuous monitoring technology. Recently, intensive efforts have been oriented towards microfabrication characterization and analytical applications of such small devices. The state of the art in this strategy comprises new fabrication methodology, novel sensing materials and versatile applications.

The goals of this Special Issue are to present high-quality and original contributions of scientists and researchers focused on microfabrication, the synthesis of new sensing materials and the realization of chemical microsensors, microelectrodes and screen-printed microchips. The applications of such devices in measuring biological, environmental and pharmaceutical species are also within the scope of this collection. This Special Issue also aims to gather recent developments in this research area and to highlight the recent trends and perspectives of such miniaturized devices.  

Dr. Hassan Arida
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • chemical microsensors
  • potentiometric microchip
  • screen-printed microchip
  • amperometric microsensors
  • microfabrication
  • automation of microchip

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 7144 KiB  
Article
Cost-Effective Laboratory Matrix Projection Micro-Lithography System
by Arslan A. Galiullin, Mikhail V. Pugachev, Aliaksandr I. Duleba and Aleksandr Yu. Kuntsevich
Micromachines 2024, 15(1), 39; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15010039 - 24 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1611
Abstract
This paper presents a home-built projection lithographer designed to transfer the image from a DLP (digital light processing) projector MEMS matrix onto the microscope objective’s field of view, where a photoresist-covered substrate is placed. The photoresist is exposed using blue light with a [...] Read more.
This paper presents a home-built projection lithographer designed to transfer the image from a DLP (digital light processing) projector MEMS matrix onto the microscope objective’s field of view, where a photoresist-covered substrate is placed. The photoresist is exposed using blue light with a wavelength of 450 nm. To calibrate the device and adjust focal lengths, we utilize a red light that does not affect the photoresist. The substrate is located on a movable platform, allowing the exposure field to be shifted, enabling the exposure of designs with lateral sizes of 1 × 1 cm2 at a resolution of a few micrometers. Our setup showcases a 2 μm resolution for the single frame 200 × 100 μm2, and a 5 μm resolution for 1 × 1 cm2 with field stitching. The exposure speed, approximately 1 mm2/100 s, proves to be sufficient for a variety of laboratory prototyping needs. This system offers a significant advantage due to its utilization of easily accessible and budget-friendly components, thereby enhancing its accessibility for a broader user base. The exposure speed and resolution meet the requirements for laboratory prototyping in the fields of 2D materials, quantum optics, superconducting microelectronics, microfluidics, and biology. Full article
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16 pages, 9132 KiB  
Article
Fabrication of Spiral Low-Cost Microchannel with Trapezoidal Cross Section for Cell Separation Using a Grayscale Approach
by Mohamed Adel, Ahmed Allam, Ashraf E. Sayour, Hani F. Ragai, Shinjiro Umezu and Ahmed M. R. Fath El-Bab
Micromachines 2023, 14(7), 1340; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14071340 - 30 Jun 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3239
Abstract
Trapezoidal cross-sectional spiral microfluidic channels showed high resolution and throughput in cell separation in bio-applications. The main challenges are the complexity and high cost of the fabrication process of trapezoidal cross-sectional channels on the micro-scale. In this work, we present the application of [...] Read more.
Trapezoidal cross-sectional spiral microfluidic channels showed high resolution and throughput in cell separation in bio-applications. The main challenges are the complexity and high cost of the fabrication process of trapezoidal cross-sectional channels on the micro-scale. In this work, we present the application of grayscale in microfluidic channel design to overcome the complexity of the fabrication process. We also use direct engraving with a CO2 laser beam on polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) material to drastically reduce the microfluidic chip’s cost (to <30 cents) and fabrication time (to 20 min). The capability of the present fabrication methodology for cell sorting applications is demonstrated through experimental tests for the separation of white blood cells (WBCs) from whole blood at different dilution factors. The experimental results indicated that an 800 µL/min flow rate provided the optimal separation efficiency using the fabricated chip. A 90.14% separation efficiency at 1% hematocrit diluted blood sample was reported. Full article
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9 pages, 1437 KiB  
Article
New Miniaturized Disposable Screen-Printed Microchip Integrated with Molecularly Imprinted Polymer for Metronidazole Benzoate Drug Detection
by Menna El-Beshlawy and Hassan Arida
Micromachines 2022, 13(12), 2107; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13122107 - 29 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1313
Abstract
A novel potentiometric microelectrode incorporating a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was fabricated, characterized, and successfully applied to the recognition and quantification of the drug, metronidazole benzoate. The elaborated MIP-based sensor was realized by thermal polarization, using metronidazole benzoate as the template material, 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidine [...] Read more.
A novel potentiometric microelectrode incorporating a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was fabricated, characterized, and successfully applied to the recognition and quantification of the drug, metronidazole benzoate. The elaborated MIP-based sensor was realized by thermal polarization, using metronidazole benzoate as the template material, 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidine (VP) as a functional monomer, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the cross-linking agent in the presence of benzoyl peroxide as the initiator. The MIP-based sensor exhibited a super-Nernstian response (61.5 ± 0.5, mV/decade) covering the linear concentration range of 1 × 10−8–1 × 10−3 mole L−1 of metronidazole benzoate with a fast response time (≤10, s.) and detection limit of 7 × 10−9 mole L−1. The microchip showed high selectivity toward the template drug molecule in the presence of many investigated interfering species. The chip electrode was successfully used in the quantification of metronidazole benzoate in some real biological samples with high accuracy (recovery, 95.4%) and precision (RSD, 1.5). Moreover, the merits offered by the elaborated MIP-based MB microchip assembly include small size, miniaturization, integration, and consequently, automation feasibility. Full article
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