Name: fabrication of a dipole-assisted solid phase extraction microchip for trace metal analysis in water samples
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Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Fabrication of a Dipole-assisted Solid Phase Extraction Microchip for Trace Metal Analysis in Water Samples at JoVE.com

The authors would like to convey their gratitude for the technical support provided by National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC) (Taiwan). The authors are grateful for the financial support provided by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Industrial Technology Research Institute (Taiwan).

Caution! Several chemicals (e.g., acrylamide, 1,1&#39;-dichloroethene) used in these procedures are acutely toxic and carcinogenic. Consult all relevant material safety data sheets (MSDS) prior to use. Follow appropriate safety practices when performing the experiments.
Note: Unless otherwise stated, carry out all procedures at ambient temperature in a class 100 laminar flow hood.
1. Fabrication of the Dipole-assisted SPE Microchip
<ol>
	<li>Preparation of the PMMA Microchip 
	Note: The fabrication protocol of the chip was similar to that described elsewhere.8
	<ol>
		<li>Draw the network pattern of the chip (Figure 1(a)) using computer aided design (CAD) software according to the manufacturer&#39;s protocol.</li>
		<li>Mount a PMMA sheet (350 mm (L) x 20 mm (W) x 2 mm (H)) on the working table of the laser micromachining system and then focus the laser source on the surface of the PMMA sheet.</li>
		<li>Select the Print in the CAD software and then set the Power, Speed, and Pen Mode as 45% (4.5 W), 13% (99.06 mm sec&#8722;1), and VECT through the control panel of the micromachining system. 
		Note: Parameters such as Power, Speed and Pen Mode affecting the channel features were investigated in advance. The evaluation method was similar to that proposed by Yuan and Dasa.17 The parameters selected in this study were used to machine an appropriate channel for adaption to conduits without complicated academic purposes. People can select another condition for laser machining in accordance with their need.</li>
		<li>Print the drawn pattern and then machine the PMMA sheet by the laser micromachining system according to the manufacturer&#39;s protocol. Figure 1(b) displays the layout of the fabricated microchip. Figure 1(c) displays the photograph of the cross-section of the machined plate. 
		Caution! Wear goggles when using the laser system to avoid severe eye damage due to exposure to the laser radiation. An appropriate exhaust system is recommended because of the production of fumes/smoke during laser machining.</li>
		<li>Drill three 1/16-inch diameter access holes for a sample inlet, a buffer inlet, and an eluent inlet on the bottom plate and one for a confluent outlet on the cover plate Figure 1(b). 
		Caution! Avoid body contact with the drill bit during the machining procedures to prevent physical injury. Wearing gloves is prohibited when drilling.</li>
		<li>Immerse the machined plates into 1 L of 0.1% (w/v) sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solution in 1-L beaker with agitation via an ultrasonic oscillator for 10 min.</li>
		<li>Replace the SDS solution with deionized water and agitate via an ultrasonic oscillator for 10 min.</li>
		<li>Replace the residual D. I. H2O with fresh one and then immerse the machined plates in 1 L of D. I. H2O with agitation via an ultrasonic oscillator for 10 min. Afterward, dry each cleaned plate with a gentle stream of nitrogen for 2 min.</li>
		<li>Align the two machined plates with the naked eye and then sandwich the two plates between two glass boards by using binder clips.</li>
		<li>Bond the two plates under compression at 105 &#176;C for 30 min.</li>
		<li>Cool the sandwich to ambient temperature and then remove the binder clips and glass boards.</li>
		<li>Insert 1/16-inch outer diameter poly(etheretherketone) (PEEK) tubes into the access holes and then secure the conduits with a two-component epoxy-based adhesive.</li>
		<li>Dry the adhesive at ambient temperature for 12 hr.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Modification of the Channel Interior of the PMMA Microchip 
	Note: The following partially refers to published procedures with slight modifications.8,18,19
	<ol>
		<li>Deliver a saturated sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution at a flow rate of 100 &#181;l min-1 via a peristaltic pump into the microchip for 12 hr (72 ml total delivered volume).</li>
		<li>Remove the residual solution and then rinse the channel interior with D. I. H2O at a flow rate of 100 &#181;l min-1 via a peristaltic pump for 30 min (3 ml total delivered volume).</li>
		<li>Remove the residual D. I. H2O and then deliver a 0.5% (v/v) nitric acid (HNO3) solution into the microchip at a flow rate of 100 &#181;l min-1 via peristaltic pump for 30 min (3 ml total delivered volume).</li>
		<li>Remove the residual solution and then deliver a 50% (w/v) acrylamide solution into the microchip in the dark at a flow rate of 100 &#181;l min-1 via peristaltic pump for 8 hr (48 ml total delivered volume).</li>
		<li>Remove the residual solution and then rinse the channel interior with D. I. H2O at a flow rate of 100 &#181;l min-1 via a peristaltic pump for 30 min (3 ml total delivered volume).</li>
		<li>Pump air to remove the residual D. I. H2O with a peristaltic pump and then cover the microchip with an in-house-built photomask allowing the desired region of the extraction channel to be exposed to light. 
		Note: The in-house-built photomask was made of a black paper (114 mm (L) x 22 mm (W)) that contained an open window (94 mm (L) x 2 mm (W)) allowing the desired region of the extraction channel to be exposed to light.</li>
		<li>Preparation of the Cl-Containing SPE Formation Solution
		<ol>
			<li>Flush the inhibitor removal SPE cartridge with ethanol amounting to at least three cartridge-volumes.</li>
			<li>Flush the cartridge with 1,1&#39;-dichloroethene amounting to at least three cartridge-volumes prior to use.</li>
			<li>Pass 1 ml of 1,1&#39;-dichloroethene through the treated cartridge and then collect the fraction in a sample vial (20 ml) wrapped in aluminum foil.</li>
			<li>Add 491 &#956;l 1,1&#39;-dichloroethene into the solution containing 12 mg 2,2&#39;-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN), 3.18 ml ethanol, and 1.65 ml hexanes in 100-ml glass bottle.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Fill the chip channel with the Cl-containing SPE formation solution (approximately 200 &#956;l) by syringe injection and then expose the microchip to ultraviolet (UV365) irradiation with a maximum emission wavelength of 365 nm for 10 min (light intensity ~2.65 mW cm-2). 
		Caution! An appropriate exhaust system is recommended, because of the production of ozone during UV irradiation.</li>
		<li>Replace the residual solution with a fresh Cl-containing SPE formation solution (approximately 200 &#956;l) by syringe injection and then expose the microchip to UV365 irradiation for 10 min again (light intensity ~2.65 mW cm-2).</li>
		<li>Repeat Step 1.2.9 18 times.</li>
		<li>Rinse the channel interior with ethanol at flow rate of 100 &#181;l min-1 via peristaltic pump for 30 min (3 ml total delivered volume). After removing the residual solution with peristaltic pump, store the fabricated microchip in a zippered bag for the subsequent use.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
2. Surface Verification of PMMA Modification
<ol>
	<li>Contact Angle Analysis
	<ol>
		<li>Cut a PMMA sheet (350 mm (L) x 20 mm (W) x 2 mm (H)) into PMMA substrates (50 mm (L) x 20 mm (W) x 2 mm (H)) by the laser micromachining system.</li>
		<li>Immerse the PMMA substrates in 40 ml saturated NaOH solution in 50-ml conical tube and then agitate the resulting mixtures via a rocking shaker for 12 hr.</li>
		<li>Remove the residual solution and then rinse the PMMA substrates with 40 ml D. I. H2O.</li>
		<li>Immerse the PMMA substrates in 40 ml D. I. H2O and then agitate the resulting mixtures via a rocking shaker for 30 min.</li>
		<li>Remove the residual D. I. H2O. Immerse the PMMA substrates in a 40 ml of 0.5% (v/v) HNO3 solution and then agitate the resulting mixtures via a rocking shaker for 30 min.</li>
		<li>Remove the residual solution. Immerse the PMMA substrates in 40 ml of 50% (w/v) acrylamide solution and then agitate the resulting mixtures via a rocking shaker in the dark for 8 hr.</li>
		<li>Remove the residual solution and then rinse the PMMA substrates with 40 ml D. I. H2O.</li>
		<li>Immerse the PMMA substrates in 40 ml of D. I. H2O and then agitate the resulting mixtures via a rocking shaker for 30 min.</li>
		<li>Remove the residual D. I. H2O and then dry each PMMA substrate with a gentle stream of nitrogen for 2 min.</li>
		<li>Preparation of the Cl-Containing SPE Formation Solution
		<ol>
			<li>Flush the inhibitor removal SPE cartridge with ethanol amounting to at least three cartridge-volumes.</li>
			<li>Flush the cartridge with 1,1&#39;-dichloroethene amounting to at least three cartridge-volumes prior to use.</li>
			<li>Pass 6 ml of 1,1&#39;-dichloroethene through the treated cartridge and then collect the fraction in a sample vial (20 ml) wrapped in aluminum foil.</li>
			<li>Add 4.91 ml 1,1&#39;-dichloroethene into the solution containing 120 mg AIBN, 31.8 ml ethanol, and 16.5 ml hexanes in 100-ml glass bottle.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Apply 2 ml of the Cl-containing SPE formation solution onto the surfaces of the PMMA substrates and then expose the substrates to UV365 irradiation for 10 min (light intensity ~2.65 mW cm-2). 
		Caution! An appropriate exhaust system is recommended, because of the production of ozone during UV irradiation.</li>
		<li>Replace the residual solution with 2 ml of fresh Cl-containing SPE formation solution and then expose the substrates to UV365 irradiation for 10 min again (light intensity ~2.65 mW cm-2).</li>
		<li>Repeat Step 2.1.12 18 times.</li>
		<li>Remove the residual solution and then rinse the PMMA substrates with 40 ml ethanol in a 50-ml conical tube.</li>
		<li>Remove the residual solution and then rinse the PMMA substrates with 40 ml D. I. H2O.</li>
		<li>Remove the residual D. I. H2O and then dry each PMMA substrate with a gentle stream of nitrogen for 2 min.</li>
		<li>Drop 5 &#956;l D. I. H2O onto the PMMA substrates and determine the contact angle by a contact angle meter according to manufacturer&#39;s protocol. 
		Note: Use the average of three repeated measurements to determine the reported contact angles in each case.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Laser Ablation (LA)-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) Analysis
	<ol>
		<li>Grind 8 g of PMMA beads into PMMA powders via a mortar and a pestle.</li>
		<li>Immerse the PMMA powders in 40 ml saturated NaOH solution in a 50-ml conical tube and then agitate the resulting mixtures via a rocking shaker for 12 hr.</li>
		<li>Remove the residual solution by a digital pipette with 5-ml tips and then rinse the PMMA powders with 40 ml D. I. H2O.</li>
		<li>Immerse the PMMA powders in 40 ml D. I. H2O and then agitate the resulting mixtures via a rocking shaker for 30 min.</li>
		<li>Remove the residual D. I. H2O. Immerse the PMMA powders in 40 ml of 0.5% (v/v) HNO3 solution and then agitate the resulting mixtures via a rocking shaker for 30 min.</li>
		<li>Remove the residual solution. Immerse the PMMA powders in 40 ml of 50% (w/v) acrylamide solution and then agitate the resulting mixtures via a rocking shaker in the dark for 8 hr.</li>
		<li>Remove the residual solution and then rinse the PMMA powders with 40 ml of D. I. H2O.</li>
		<li>Immerse the PMMA powders in 40 ml of D. I. H2O and then agitate the resulting mixtures via a rocking shaker for 30 min.</li>
		<li>Remove the residual D. I. H2O and then bake the PMMA powders at 60 &#176;C for 8 hr.</li>
		<li>Preparation of the Cl-Containing SPE Formation Solution
		<ol>
			<li>Flush the inhibitor removal SPE cartridge with ethanol amounting to at least three cartridge-volumes.</li>
			<li>Flush the cartridge with 1,1&#39;-dichloroethene amounting to at least three cartridge-volumes prior to use.</li>
			<li>Pass 16 ml 1,1&#39;-dichloroethene through the treated cartridge and then collect the fraction in a sample vial (20 ml) wrapped in aluminum foil.</li>
			<li>Add 14.73 ml 1,1&#39;-dichloroethene into the solution containing 360 mg AIBN, 95.4 ml ethanol, and 49.5 ml hexanes in a 250-ml glass bottle.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Mix the PMMA powders with 6 ml of Cl-containing SPE formation solution in a 50-ml conical tube, and equally transfer 1 ml of the mixture from conical tube into six wells of a 24-well tissue culture plate.</li>
		<li>Cover the tissue culture plate with a PMMA board and then expose the tissue culture plate to UV365 irradiation for 10 min (light intensity ~2.65 mW cm-2). 
		Caution! An appropriate exhaust system is recommended, because of the production of ozone during UV irradiation.</li>
		<li>Replace the residual solution with 1 ml of fresh Cl-containing SPE formation solution of each well and then expose the tissue culture plate to UV365 irradiation for 10 min again (light intensity ~2.65 mW cm-2).</li>
		<li>Repeat Step 2.2.13 18 times.</li>
		<li>Remove the residual solution and then rinse the PMMA powders in each well with 1 ml ethanol.</li>
		<li>Remove the residual solution and then rinse the PMMA powders in each well with 1 ml D. I. H2O.</li>
		<li>Remove the residual D. I. H2O and then bake the PMMA powders at 60 &#176;C for 8 hr.</li>
		<li>Compress the dried powders (1 g) to a pellet via a hydraulic press machine and then measure the signal for Cl by a LA-ICP-MS system. 
		Note: The signal for Cl at m/z 35 was selected as an indicator for the implanted C-Cl moieties. 
		A 193-nm laser was used as the ablation source. The Energy, Fluence, Spot Size, and Repetition Rate were set as 75%, 8.85 J cm-2, 100 &#181;m, and 5 Hz. At least 7 repeated measurements for each result were required. The LA-ICP-MS analytical procedures refer to published procedures elsewhere.20</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Raman Spectroscopic Analysis
	<ol>
		<li>Perform the protocol from Step 2.2.1 to Step 2.2.17.</li>
		<li>Compress the dried powders (1 g) to a pellet via a hydraulic press machine and then take the spectra by a Raman spectrometer. 
		Note: Use a 780-nm laser line with maximum laser power of 100 mW as the photoexcitation source. Use the region of the Raman spectrum ranging from 550 to 900 cm-1 to investigate the attachment of the C-Cl moieties to the PMMA.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
3. Characterization of the Dipole-assisted SPE Reaction
<ol>
	<li>Perform the protocol from Step 2.2.1 to Step 2.2.17.</li>
	<li>Immerse 0.5 g PMMA powders in 5 ml of 20% (w/v) manganese nitrate tetrahydrate (Mn(NO3)24H2O) solution and then equally mix the resulting mixtures with 5 ml of 40 mM maleate buffer solution.</li>
	<li>Adjust the pH of the resulting mixtures to 8 by using a pure HNO3 solution and then agitate the mixtures via a rocking shaker for 1 hr.</li>
	<li>Remove the residual solution and then bake the PMMA powders at 60 &#176;C for 8 hr. Store the powders in 15-ml conical tube wrapped in aluminum foil for the X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) analysis. 
	Note: The Mn K-edge XANES spectra were collected by using 07A and 17C1 beamlines of the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC, Hsinchu, Taiwan). The electron storage ring was operated with energy of 1.5 GeV and a current of 100-200 mA. A Si(111) double crystal monochromator was used for providing highly monochromatized photon beams with energy of 1 to 15 keV and resolving power (E/&#916;E) of up to 5,000.The photon energy was calibrated by Mn standards using the known Mn K-edge absorption inflection point at 6539.0 eV. The Mn K-edge XANES spectra in the region between 6,530 and 6,570 eV were used to investigate the dipole-ion interactions for characterization of the proposed SPE reaction.</li>
</ol>

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Technol. 21 (10), 961-981 (2007).</li><li>Willis, H. A., Zichy, V. J. I., Hendra, P. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+Laser-Raman+and+Infra-red+Spectra+of+Poly(Methyl+Methacrylate).">The Laser-Raman and Infra-red Spectra of Poly(Methyl Methacrylate).</a> Polymer. 10, 737-746 (1969).</li><li>Hendra, P. J., Mwkenzie, J. R., Holliday, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+laser-Raman+spectrum+of+polyvinylidene+chloride.">The laser-Raman spectrum of polyvinylidene chloride.</a> Spectroc. Acta Pt. A-Molec. Biomolec. Spectr. 25 (8), 1349-1354 (1969).</li></ol>

The authors have nothing to disclose.

The detailed procedures for the preparation of a dipole-assisted SPE microchip were presented above. In this section, the utility of the modification protocol with regard to the implantation of the C-Cl moieties on the PMMA and the feasibility of the Cl-containing PMMA, which was used as an extraction medium for the determination of trace metal ions, are evaluated step-by-step. For surface verification purposes, the sample type was selected on the basis of its compatibility with the analytical instrumentation. In other words, the types of test samples prepared via a similar process were determined in accordance with the requirements of the analytical instruments. For example, a substrate-type sample was used for the measurement of the contact angle, whereas a powder-packing-type sample was used for the LA-ICP-MS, Raman spectroscopic, and XANES analyses.
Initially, to monitor the change undergone by the chemical functionalities attached to the surface of the PMMA during the proposed procedures, a contact angle analysis for the resulting product corresponding to each step was carried out (Figure 2). As displayed in Figure 2, the variations in the contact angle clearly indicated that surface changes occurred during the modification procedures, and the contact angle of 80.3&#176; &#177; 0.43&#176; that was measured for the final product was in agreement with previously reported results.21
In addition, the existence of the C-Cl moieties on the modified PMMA was also confirmed via LA-ICP-MS analysis. Compared with the results obtained by ablating the native PMMA, distinct signals for Cl were observed expectably by ablating the PMMA modified with the C-Cl moieties (Figure 3(a)).
The Raman spectra were collected for further validating the attachment of the C-Cl moieties to the PMMA. As shown in Figure 3(b), two characteristic peaks associated with the CCl2 asymmetric stretching vibration were observed at 682 cm-1 and 718 cm-1 in the spectrum of the modified PMMA and that in reasonably good agreement with the results reported by Willis et al.22 and Hendra et al.23 In other words, the attachment of the C-Cl moieties to the PMMA could be successfully achieved after modification.
Moreover, to clarify the extraction mechanism proposed in this study, the XANES analysis was employed. As indicated in Figure 4, the interactions between the highly electronegative C-Cl moieties and the positively charged metal ions could be confirmed by the presence of the dominant absorption edge in the XANES spectrum corresponding to the modified PMMA treated with Mn2+ ions. Thus, the dipole-electrostatic interactions would be indeed applied to on-chip extraction for trace metal analyses. The detailed analytical results for water samples collected from two rivers in Taiwan have been described elsewhere.16
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to utilize an innovative working strategy in on-chip SPE reaction for the determination of trace metal ions, and that the developed device was significantly durable compared with other on-chip SPE techniques (i.e., more than 160 analytical works could be achieved without significant deterioration in terms of the extraction efficiency). Nevertheless, because such extraction mechanism was mainly relied on the interactions between the highly electronegative C-Cl moieties and the positively charged metal ions, the proposed technique was expected to be unsuited for the extraction of the negatively charged species so far.

From the viewpoints of environmental management and contamination prevention, trace metals which cause serious pollution or toxicological problems are a worldwide concern. An appropriate on-chip sample pretreatment technique has been widely accepted as the key to success in processing and analyzing actual samples via chip-based platforms, because unexpected co-existing chemical species in raw samples often hamper the accurate determination of analytes present in traces amounts.1 Among the available techniques, on-chip solid phase extraction (SPE) is especially popular for trace metal analyses, because this technique permitting sample cleanup and analyte preconcentration to be performed simultaneously is extremely useful for isolation of metal ions from complicated salt matrices.2,3
The advancement of on-chip SPE techniques used for the determination of trace metals has been steadily evolving. In the early days, the SPE chips were prepared by loading commercially available resins into the microchannels to construct the resin-packed SPE units.4-7 This occasionally required the analyte to be derivatized to enable the transformation of metal ions into resin-retainable forms.4 An alternative method for the preparation of chip-based SPE devices is to utilize the chip channel as an SPE sorbent for the collection of trace metals after simple surface modification.8 Recent years have seen an emerging trend involving the incorporation of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and specific chemicals that contain functional groups capable of the efficient retention of metal ions. In contrast to commercial resins, the MNPs are modified with compounds such as &#947;-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (&#947;-MPTS)9 and aminobenzyl ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (ABEDTA)10 after which they are packed into the microchannels with the aid of an external magnetic field to achieve the selective extraction of metal ions.
Although significant progress in the development of on-chip SPE techniques has been witnessed, the reported techniques typically function based on either ion exchange or chelation. The use of techniques such as these has the disadvantage of requiring unavoidable operational procedures, including those associated with conditioning, washing, or regeneration, to maintain the analytical performance. Unfortunately, the need for additional operational procedures not only extends the time required for each analysis but also risks causing high blank values and irreproducible results.11 Therefore, an alternative working strategy for on-chip SPE techniques is imperative for trace metal analyses.
In 1993, Watts and Chehimi12 found that metal ions have a retention tendency toward polymeric materials, and that most of analytes efficiently retained on a chloro (Cl)-containing polymeric material, poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) except sodium ions. Therefore, in 2002, Eboatu et al.13 further reported on the sequestration of some toxic metal from solutions by PVC. Because this indicated that Cl-containing polymeric materials exhibited superior properties for analyte preconcentration and salt matrix elimination, chip-based devices with the Cl-containing SPE functionality were considered an attractive strategy for the development of a novel on-chip SPE technique for the determination of trace metal ions. Considering material features, such as ease of fabrication, desired chemical/mechanical properties, and optical clarity,14,15 this study took advantage of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) to fabricate a microdevice. Then, the Cl-containing SPE functionality was implanted into the fabricated device for the development of a novel on-chip SPE technique for the determination of trace metal ions.16
Remarkably, the reliance of the innovative extraction mechanism on the dipole-ion interactions between the highly electronegative C-Cl moieties in the channel interior and the positively charged metal ions makes it possible to avoid measures taken during general on-chip SPE procedures, leading to a dramatic reduction of either the contamination caused by the use of excess reagents or the labor attributed to additional steps. The protocol provided in this contribution will enable researchers from diverse backgrounds to fabricate the dipole-assisted SPE microchip for their work. Detailed characterization procedures for the fabricated microchip are described as well.

<table><tbody><tr><td>AutoCAD</td><td>Autodesk</td><td>N/A</td><td>http://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software/autocad</td></tr><tr><td>Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) sheet</td><td>Kun Quan Engineering Plastics</td><td>N/A</td><td>350 mm (L) x 20 mm (W) x 2 mm (H). The glass transition temperature (Tg) of PMMA sheets is ranged from 102&amp;ndash;110 &amp;deg;C. The UV transmittance of the PMMA at 365 nm is 91.2%.</td></tr><tr><td>Micromachining system</td><td>Laser Life</td><td>LES-10</td><td>Maximum laser power: 10 W. Maximium engraving speed: 762 mm sec&lt;sup&gt;&amp;minus;1&lt;/sup&gt;.</td></tr><tr><td>High-resolution optical microscope</td><td>Ching Hsing Computer-Tech</td><td>FS-230</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Power Image Analysis system (PIA)</td><td>Ching Hsing Computer-Tech</td><td>PIA V16.1</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Multi drilling machines</td><td>N/A</td><td>LT-848</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Deionized water (D. I. H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O)</td><td>Millipore</td><td>Milli-Q Integral 5 System</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)</td><td>J. T. Baker</td><td>4095-04</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ultrasound oscillator</td><td>Elma</td><td>Transsonic Digital</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Glass board</td><td>N/A</td><td>N/A</td><td>160 mm (L) x 35 mm (W) x 2 mm (H); fragile</td></tr><tr><td>Binder clip</td><td>SDI</td><td>0234T-1</td><td>http://stationery.sdi.com.tw/product_detail.php?Key=322&amp;amp;cID=55&amp;amp;uID=6</td></tr><tr><td>Precision oven</td><td>Yeong Shin</td><td>DK-45</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Poly(etheretherketone) (PEEK) tube</td><td>VICI</td><td>JR-T-6002 (0.5 mm i.d.); JR-T-6001 (0.25 mm i.d.)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Polymer tubing&amp;nbsp; cutter</td><td>Upchurch Scientific</td><td>A-327</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Two-component epoxy-based adhesive</td><td>Richwang</td><td>N/A</td><td>Skin irritative. The major components are an epoxy resin and a hardener.</td></tr><tr><td>Peristaltic pump</td><td>Gilson</td><td>Minipuls 3</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Peristaltic tube</td><td>Gilson</td><td>F117934</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Sodium hydroxide (NaOH)</td><td>Sigma&amp;ndash;Aldrich</td><td>30620</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Nitric acid (HNO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;)</td><td>J. T. Baker</td><td>959834</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Acrylamide (prop-2-enamide, C&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;H&lt;sub&gt;5&lt;/sub&gt;NO)</td><td>Sigma&amp;ndash;Aldrich</td><td>A8887</td><td>Acutely toxic and carcinogenic</td></tr><tr><td>In-house-built photomask</td><td>N/A</td><td>N/A</td><td>The in-house-built photomask was made of a black paper (114 mm (L) &amp;times; 22 mm (W)) that contained an open window (94 mm (L) &amp;times; 2 mm (W)) allowing the desired region</td></tr><tr><td>1,1-Dichloroethylene</td><td>Sigma&amp;ndash;Aldrich</td><td>163032</td><td>Acutely toxic and carcinogenic</td></tr><tr><td>Cartridge</td><td>Dikma</td><td>ProElut AL-B&amp;nbsp;</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2,2-Azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN, C&lt;sub&gt;8&lt;/sub&gt;H&lt;sub&gt;12&lt;/sub&gt;N&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;)</td><td>Showa Chemical&amp;nbsp;</td><td>0159-2130</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ethanol</td><td>Sigma&amp;ndash;Aldrich</td><td>32221</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Hexanes (C&lt;sub&gt;6&lt;/sub&gt;H&lt;sub&gt;14&lt;/sub&gt;)</td><td>Millinckrodt Chemical</td><td>5189-08</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>In-house-built irradiation system</td><td>Great Lighting (UV-A lamp)</td><td>N/A</td><td>An opaque box with an UV-A lamp (40 W, maximum emission at 365 nm)</td></tr><tr><td>Glass vial</td><td>Yeong Shin</td><td>132300019</td><td>Fragile</td></tr><tr><td>Aluminum foil</td><td>Diamond</td><td>N/A</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Conical tubes with screw caps</td><td>labcon</td><td>3181-345-008 (50 mL); 3131-345-008 (15 mL)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Rocking shaker</td><td>TKS</td><td>RS-01</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Contact angle meter</td><td>First Ten Angstroms</td><td>FTA 125</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>PMMA bead</td><td>Scientific Polymer Products</td><td>037A</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Mortar and pestle, agate&amp;nbsp;</td><td>Yeong Shin</td><td>139000004</td><td>Fragile</td></tr><tr><td>Tissue culture plate</td><td>AdvanGene Life Science Plasticware</td><td>AGC-CP-24S-50EA</td><td>24-Well, non-treated, sterilized</td></tr><tr><td>Hydraulic press</td><td>Panchum</td><td>Press-200</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Laser ablation</td><td>New Wave Research</td><td>NWR193</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer</td><td>Agilent Technologies</td><td>Agilent 7500a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Glass bottle</td><td>DURAN</td><td>21801245 (100 mL); 21801365 (250 mL)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Dispersive Raman spectrometer</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td><td>Nicolet Almega XR</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Manganese nitrate tetrahydrate (Mn(NO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;)&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;&amp;times;4H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O)</td><td>Sigma&amp;ndash;Aldrich</td><td>63547</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Maleic acid disodium salt hydrate (C&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;H&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;Na&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O&lt;sub&gt;5&lt;/sub&gt;)</td><td>Sigma&amp;ndash;Aldrich</td><td>M9009</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES)&amp;nbsp;</td><td>N/A</td><td>N/A</td><td>The Mn K-edge XANES analyses were conducted at 07A and 17C1 beamlines of the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC) in Taiwan.</td></tr></tbody></table>

fabrication of a dipole-assisted solid phase extraction microchip for trace metal analysis in water samples

This paper describes a fabrication protocol for a dipole-assisted solid phase extraction (SPE) microchip available for trace metal analysis in water samples. A brief overview of the evolution of chip-based SPE techniques is provided. This is followed by an introduction to specific polymeric materials and their role in SPE. To develop an innovative dipole-assisted SPE technique, a chlorine (Cl)-containing SPE functionality was implanted into a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microchip. Herein, diverse analytical techniques including contact angle analysis, Raman spectroscopic analysis, and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analysis were employed to validate the utility of the implantation protocol of the C-Cl moieties on the PMMA. The analytical results of the X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) analysis also demonstrated the feasibility of the Cl-containing PMMA used as an extraction medium by virtue of the dipole-ion interactions between the highly electronegative C-Cl moieties and the positively charged metal ions.

Figure 2 depicts the reaction that occurs during the channel modification procedures of the PMMA microchip. Contact angle analysis was used to monitor the surface changes during the proposed procedures. An LA-ICP-MS system and a dispersive Raman spectrometer were employed to verify the successful modification of the C-Cl moieties formation on the PMMA substrate (Figure 3(a),(b)). The proposed dipole-assisted SPE reaction was characterized by the XANES analysis (Figure 4).
<img alt="Figure 1" src="/files/ftp_upload/53500/53500fig1.jpg" /> 
Figure 1. The PMMA microchip. (a) The snapshot of the pattern file for the fabricated microchip. (b) Layout of the fabricated microchip: S, E, and B represent the introduction ports for the sample, eluent, and buffer solutions, respectively; O represents the outlet. The black circle represents the drilled access hole for each. The channels used for the introduction of sample and buffer solutions both formed an angle of 30&#176; with the extraction channel. The length of the effective extraction channel, which was defined as the distance from the convergence point of the flows of the sample and buffer solutions to the confluent outlet, was 94 mm. (c) The photograph of the cross-section of the machined plate. Reproduced from Ref. 16 by permission of The Royal Society of Chemistry. <a href="https://www-jove-com.bdigitaluss.remotexs.co/files/ftp_upload/53500/53500fig1large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<img alt="Figure 2" src="/files/ftp_upload/53500/53500fig2.jpg" /> 
Figure 2. Scheme of the channel modification for the PMMA microchip. The inset photographs show the contact angle corresponding to the resulting product in sequence. The contact angle was determined by using an image of a water drop. The average of three repeated measurements was used for determining the reported contact angles in each case. Reproduced from Ref. 16 by permission of The Royal Society of Chemistry. <a href="https://www-jove-com.bdigitaluss.remotexs.co/files/ftp_upload/53500/53500fig2large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<img alt="Figure 3" src="/files/ftp_upload/53500/53500fig3.jpg" /> 
Figure 3. Surface verification of PMMA modification. (a) Signal for Cl obtained by ablating both the PMMA and PMMA modified with the C-Cl moieties. The inset shows the ablation positions corresponding to each obtaining signal. (b) Raman spectra of native and modified PMMA. Reproduced from Ref. 16 by permission of The Royal Society of Chemistry. <a href="https://www-jove-com.bdigitaluss.remotexs.co/files/ftp_upload/53500/53500fig3large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<img alt="Figure 4" src="/files/ftp_upload/53500/53500fig4.jpg" /> 
Figure 4. Mn K-edge XANES spectra of modified PMMA and modified PMMA treated with Mn2+ ions. The spectra of modified PMMA was presented as red line. The interactions between the highly electronegative C-Cl moieties of modified PMMA and the Mn2+ ions shown the absorption spectra was presented as blue line. Reproduced from Ref. 16 by permission of The Royal Society of Chemistry. <a href="https://www-jove-com.bdigitaluss.remotexs.co/files/ftp_upload/53500/53500fig4large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>

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Fabrication of a Dipole-assisted Solid Phase Extraction Microchip for Trace Metal Analysis in Water Samples

The fabrication protocol of a dipole-assisted solid phase extraction microchip for the trace metal analysis is presented.

This paper describes a fabrication protocol for a dipole-assisted solid phase extraction (SPE) microchip available for trace metal analysis in water ...

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8.6K Views.  National Tsing Hua University. The fabrication protocol of a dipole-assisted solid phase extraction microchip for the trace metal analysis is presented.

Video: Fabrication of a Dipole-assisted Solid Phase Extraction Microchip for Trace Metal Analysis in Water Samples

A Simple Method for Automated Solid Phase Extraction of Water Samples for Immunological Analysis of Small Pollutants

A new method for solid phase extraction (SPE) of environmental water samples is proposed. The developed prototype is cost-efficient and user friendly, and enables to perform rapid, automated and simple SPE. The pre-concentrated solution is compatible with analysis by immunoassay, with a low organic solvent content. A method is described for the extraction and pre-concentration of natural hormone 17&#946;-estradiol in 100 ml water samples. Reverse phase SPE is performed with octadecyl-silica sorbent and elution is done with 200 &#181;l of methanol 50% v/v. Eluent is diluted by adding di-water to lower the amount of methanol. After preparing manually the SPE column, the overall procedure is performed automatically within 1 hr. At the end of the process, estradiol concentration is measured by using a commercial enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay (ELISA). 100-fold pre-concentration is achieved and the methanol content in only 10% v/v. Full recoveries of the molecule are achieved with 1 ng/L spiked de-ionized and synthetic sea water samples.

A protocol for the extraction and pre-concentration of estradiol from water samples by using an automated and miniaturized system is presented.

A new method for solid phase extraction (SPE) of environmental water samples is proposed. The developed prototype is cost-efficient and user friendly, and ...

Environment

Clean Sampling and Analysis of River and Estuarine Waters for Trace Metal Studies

Most of the trace metal concentrations in ambient waters obtained a few decades ago have been considered unreliable owing to the lack of contamination control. Developments of some techniques aiming to reduce trace metal contamination in the last couple of decades have resulted in concentrations reported now being orders of magnitude lower than those in the past. These low concentrations often necessitate preconcentration of water samples prior to instrumental analysis of samples. Since contamination can appear in all phases of trace metal analyses, including sample collection (and during preparation of sampling containers), storage and handling, pretreatments, and instrumental analysis, specific care needs to be taken in order to reduce contamination levels at all steps. The effort to develop and utilize "clean techniques" in trace metal studies allows scientists to investigate trace metal distributions and chemical and biological behavior in greater details. This advancement also provides the required accuracy and precision of trace metal data allowing for environmental conditions to be related to trace metal concentrations in aquatic environments.
This protocol that is presented here details needed materials for sample preparation, sample collection, sample pretreatment including preconcentration, and instrumental analysis. By reducing contamination throughout all phases mentioned above for trace metal analysis, much lower detection limits and thus accuracy can be achieved. The effectiveness of "clean techniques" is further demonstrated using low field blanks and good recoveries for standard reference material. The data quality that can be obtained thus enables the assessment of trace metal distributions and their relationships to environmental parameters.

Special care using "clean techniques" is required to properly collect and process water samples for trace metal studies in aquatic environments. A protocol for sampling, processing, and analytical procedures with the aim of obtaining reliable environmental monitoring data and results with high sensitivity for detailed trace metal studies is presented.

Most of the trace metal concentrations in ambient waters obtained a few decades ago have been considered unreliable owing to the lack of contamination ...

On-chip Isotachophoresis for Separation of Ions and Purification of Nucleic Acids

Electrokinetic techniques are a staple of microscale applications because of their unique ability to perform a variety of fluidic and electrophoretic processes in simple, compact systems with no moving parts. Isotachophoresis (ITP) is a simple and very robust electrokinetic technique that can achieve million-fold preconcentration1,2 and efficient separation and extraction based on ionic mobility.3 For example, we have demonstrated the application of ITP to separation and sensitive detection of unlabeled ionic molecules (e.g. toxins, DNA, rRNA, miRNA) with little or no sample preparation4-8 and to extraction and purification of nucleic acids from complex matrices including cell culture, urine, and blood.9-12
ITP achieves focusing and separation using an applied electric field and two buffers within a fluidic channel system. For anionic analytes, the leading electrolyte (LE) buffer is chosen such that its anions have higher effective electrophoretic mobility than the anions of the trailing electrolyte (TE) buffer (Effective mobility describes the observable drift velocity of an ion and takes into account the ionization state of the ion, as described in detail by Persat et al.13). After establishing an interface between the TE and LE, an electric field is applied such that LE ions move away from the region occupied by TE ions. Sample ions of intermediate effective mobility race ahead of TE ions but cannot overtake LE ions, and so they focus at the LE-TE interface (hereafter called the "ITP interface"). Further, the TE and LE form regions of respectively low and high conductivity, which establish a steep electric field gradient at the ITP interface. This field gradient preconcentrates sample species as they focus. Proper choice of TE and LE results in focusing and purification of target species from other non-focused species and, eventually, separation and segregation of sample species.
We here review the physical principles underlying ITP and discuss two standard modes of operation: "peak" and "plateau" modes. In peak mode, relatively dilute sample ions focus together within overlapping narrow peaks at the ITP interface. In plateau mode, more abundant sample ions reach a steady-state concentration and segregate into adjoining plateau-like zones ordered by their effective mobility. Peak and plateau modes arise out of the same underlying physics, but represent distinct regimes differentiated by the initial analyte concentration and/or the amount of time allotted for sample accumulation.
We first describe in detail a model peak mode experiment and then demonstrate a peak mode assay for the extraction of nucleic acids from E. coli cell culture. We conclude by presenting a plateau mode assay, where we use a non-focusing tracer (NFT) species to visualize the separation and perform quantitation of amino acids.

Isotachophoresis (ITP) is a robust electrokinetic separation and preconcentration technique with applications ranging from toxin detection to sample preparation. We review the physical principles of ITP and the methodology of applying this technique to two specific example applications: separation and detection of small molecules and purification of nucleic acids from cell culture lysate.

Electrokinetic techniques are a staple of microscale applications because of their unique ability to perform a variety of fluidic and electrophoretic ...

Detection and Recovery of Palladium, Gold and Cobalt Metals from the Urban Mine Using Novel Sensors/Adsorbents Designated with Nanoscale Wagon-wheel-shaped Pores

Developing low-cost, efficient processes for recovering and recycling palladium, gold and cobalt metals from urban mine remains a significant challenge in industrialized countries. Here, the development of optical mesosensors/adsorbents (MSAs) for efficient recognition and selective recovery of Pd(II), Au(III), and Co(II) from urban mine was achieved. A simple, general method for preparing MSAs based on using high-order mesoporous monolithic scaffolds was described. Hierarchical cubic Ia3d wagon-wheel-shaped MSAs were fabricated by anchoring chelating agents (colorants) into three-dimensional pores and micrometric particle surfaces of the mesoporous monolithic scaffolds. Findings show, for the first time, evidence of controlled optical recognition of Pd(II), Au(III), and Co(II) ions and a highly selective system for recovery of Pd(II) ions (up to ~95%) in ores and industrial wastes. Furthermore, the controlled assessment processes described herein involve evaluation of intrinsic properties (e.g., visual signal change, long-term stability, adsorption efficiency, extraordinary sensitivity, selectivity, and reusability); thus, expensive, sophisticated instruments are not required. Results show evidence that MSAs will attract worldwide attention as a promising technological means of recovering and recycling palladium, gold and cobalt metals.

Because of the importance and extensive use of palladium, gold and cobalt metals in high-technology equipment, their recovery and recycling constitute an important industrial challenge. The metal recovery system described herein is a simple, low-cost means for the effective detection, removal, and recovery of these metals from the urban mine.

Developing low-cost, efficient processes for recovering and recycling palladium, gold and cobalt metals from urban mine remains a significant challenge in ...

Engineering

Fabrication of the Thermoplastic Microfluidic Channels

In our lab, we have successfully isolated nucleic acids directly from microliter and submicroliter volumes of human blood, urine and stool using polymer/nanoparticle composite microscale lysis and solid phase extraction columns. The recovered samples are concentrated, small volume samples that are PCRable, without any additional cleanup. Here, we demonstrate how to fabricate thermoplastic microfluidic chips using hot embossing and heat sealing. Then, we demonstrate how to use in situ light directed surface grafting and polymerization through the sealed chip to form the composite solid phase columns. We demonstrate grafting and polymerization of a carbon nanotube/polymer composite column for bacterial cell lysis. We then show the lysis process followed by solid phase extraction of nucleic acids from the sample on chip using a silica/polymer composite column. The attached protocols contain detailed instructions on how to make both lysis and solid phase extraction columns.

Here we demonstrate how to fabricate thermoplastic microfluidic chips using hot embossing and heat sealing. Then we demonstrate how to use in situ light directed surface grafting and polymerization through the sealed chip to form the composite solid phase columns.

In our lab, we have successfully isolated nucleic acids directly from microliter and submicroliter volumes of human blood, urine and stool using ...

Biology

A Microfluidic Chip for the Versatile Chemical Analysis of Single Cells

We present a microfluidic device that enables the quantitative determination of intracellular biomolecules in multiple single cells in parallel. For this purpose, the cells are passively trapped in the middle of a microchamber. Upon activation of the control layer, the cell is isolated from the surrounding volume in a small chamber. The surrounding volume can then be exchanged without affecting the isolated cell. However, upon short opening and closing of the chamber, the solution in the chamber can be replaced within a few hundred milliseconds. Due to the reversibility of the chambers, the cells can be exposed to different solutions sequentially in a highly controllable fashion, e.g. for incubation, washing, and finally, cell lysis. The tightly sealed microchambers enable the retention of the lysate, minimize and control the dilution after cell lysis. Since lysis and analysis occur at the same location, high sensitivity is retained because no further dilution or loss of the analytes occurs during transport. The microchamber design therefore enables the reliable and reproducible analysis of very small copy numbers of intracellular molecules (attomoles, zeptomoles) released from individual cells. Furthermore, many microchambers can be arranged in an array format, allowing the analysis of many cells at once, given that suitable optical instruments are used for monitoring. We have already used the platform for proof-of-concept studies to analyze intracellular proteins, enzymes, cofactors and second messengers in either relative or absolute quantifiable manner.

In this article we present a microfluidic chip for single cell analysis. It allows the quantification of intracellular proteins, enzymes, cofactors, and second messengers by means of fluorescent assays or immunoassays.&#160;

We present a microfluidic device that enables the quantitative determination of intracellular biomolecules in multiple single cells in parallel. For this ...

A Microfluidic-based Electrochemical Biochip for Label-free DNA Hybridization Analysis

Miniaturization of analytical benchtop procedures into the micro-scale provides significant advantages in regards to reaction time, cost, and integration of pre-processing steps. Utilizing these devices towards the analysis of DNA hybridization events is important because it offers a technology for real time assessment of biomarkers at the point-of-care for various diseases. However, when the device footprint decreases the dominance of various physical phenomena increases. These phenomena influence the fabrication precision and operation reliability of the device. Therefore, there is a great need to accurately fabricate and operate these devices in a reproducible manner in order to improve the overall performance. Here, we describe the protocols and the methods used for the fabrication and the operation of a microfluidic-based electrochemical biochip for accurate analysis of DNA hybridization events. The biochip is composed of two parts: a microfluidic chip with three parallel micro-channels made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and a 3 x 3 arrayed electrochemical micro-chip. The DNA hybridization events are detected using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis. The EIS analysis enables monitoring variations of the properties of the electrochemical system that are dominant at these length scales. With the ability to monitor changes of both charge transfer and diffusional resistance with the biosensor, we demonstrate the selectivity to complementary ssDNA targets, a calculated detection limit of 3.8 nM, and a 13% cross-reactivity with other non-complementary ssDNA following 20 min&#160;of incubation. This methodology can improve the performance of miniaturized devices by elucidating on the behavior of diffusion at the micro-scale regime and by enabling the study of DNA hybridization events.

We present a microfluidic-based electrochemical biochip for DNA hybridization detection. Following ssDNA probe functionalization, the specificity, sensitivity, and detection limit are studied with complementary and non-complementary ssDNA targets. Results illustrate the influence of the DNA hybridization events on the electrochemical system, with a detection limit of 3.8 nM.

Miniaturization of analytical benchtop procedures into the micro-scale provides significant advantages in regards to reaction time, cost, and integration ...

A Microfluidic Chip for ICPMS Sample Introduction

This protocol discusses the fabrication and usage of a disposable low cost microfluidic chip as sample introduction system for inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). The chip produces monodisperse aqueous sample droplets in perfluorohexane (PFH). Size and frequency of the aqueous droplets can be varied in the range of 40 to 60 &#181;m and from 90 to 7,000&#160;Hz, respectively. The droplets are ejected from the chip with a second flow of PFH and remain intact during the ejection. A custom-built desolvation system removes the PFH and transports the droplets into the ICPMS. Here, very stable signals with a narrow intensity distribution can be measured, showing the monodispersity of the droplets. We show that the introduction system can be used to quantitatively determine iron in single bovine red blood cells. In the future, the capabilities of the introduction device can easily be extended by the integration of additional microfluidic modules.

We present a discrete droplet sample introduction system for inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). It is based on a cheap and disposable microfluidic chip that generates highly monodisperse droplets in a size range of 40&#8722;60 &#181;m at frequencies from 90 to 7,000 Hz.

This protocol discusses the fabrication and usage of a disposable low cost microfluidic chip as sample introduction system for inductively coupled plasma ...

A Microfluidic Platform for Precision Small-volume Sample Processing and Its Use to Size Separate Biological Particles with an Acoustic Microdevice

A major advantage of microfluidic devices is the ability to manipulate small sample volumes, thus reducing reagent waste and preserving precious sample. However, to achieve robust sample manipulation it is necessary to address device integration with the macroscale environment. To realize repeatable, sensitive particle separation with microfluidic devices, this protocol presents a complete automated and integrated microfluidic platform that enables precise processing of 0.15&#8211;1.5 ml samples using microfluidic devices. Important aspects of this system include modular device layout and robust fixtures resulting in reliable and flexible world to chip connections, and fully-automated fluid handling which accomplishes closed-loop sample collection, system cleaning and priming steps to ensure repeatable operation. Different microfluidic devices can be used interchangeably with this architecture. Here we incorporate an acoustofluidic device, detail its characterization, performance optimization, and demonstrate its use for size-separation of biological samples. By using real-time feedback during separation experiments, sample collection is optimized to conserve and concentrate sample. Although requiring the integration of multiple pieces of equipment, advantages of this architecture include the ability to process unknown samples with no additional system optimization, ease of device replacement, and precise, robust sample processing.

This protocol describes a system architecture for performing automated small volume (0.15&#8211;1.5 ml) particle separations using a microfluidic device, and discusses methods to optimize acoustofluidic device performance and operation.

A major advantage of microfluidic devices is the ability to manipulate small sample volumes, thus reducing reagent waste and preserving precious sample. ...

Fast Enzymatic Processing of Proteins for MS Detection with a Flow-through Microreactor

The vast majority of mass spectrometry (MS)-based protein analysis methods involve an enzymatic digestion step prior to detection, typically with trypsin. This step is necessary for the generation of small molecular weight peptides, generally with MW &#60; 3,000-4,000 Da, that fall within the effective scan range of mass spectrometry instrumentation. Conventional protocols involve O/N enzymatic digestion at 37 &#186;C. Recent advances have led to the development of a variety of strategies, typically involving the use of a microreactor with immobilized enzymes or of a range of complementary physical processes that reduce the time necessary for proteolytic digestion to a few minutes (e.g., microwave or high-pressure). In this work, we describe a simple and cost-effective approach that can be implemented in any laboratory for achieving fast enzymatic digestion of a protein. The protein (or protein mixture) is adsorbed on C18-bonded reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) silica particles preloaded in a capillary column, and trypsin in aqueous buffer is infused over the particles for a short period of time. To enable on-line MS detection, the tryptic peptides are eluted with a solvent system with increased organic content directly in the MS ion source. This approach avoids the use of high-priced immobilized enzyme particles and does not necessitate any aid for completing the process. Protein digestion and complete sample analysis can be accomplished in less than ~3 min and ~30 min, respectively.

A quick protocol for proteolytic digestion with an in-house built flow-through tryptic microreactor coupled to an electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometer is presented. The fabrication of the microreactor, the experimental setup and the data acquisition process are described.

The vast majority of mass spectrometry (MS)-based protein analysis methods involve an enzymatic digestion step prior to detection, typically with trypsin. ...