Controlling Macroscopic Phase Separation of Aqueous Two-Phase Polymer Systems in Porous Media.

In previous work, our group discovered a phenomenon in which a mixed polymer-salt or mixed micellar aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) separates into its two constituent phases as it flows within paper. While these ATPSs worked well in their respective studies to concentrate the target biomarker and improve the sensitivity of the lateral-flow immunoassay, different ATPSs can be advantageous for new applications based on factors such as biomarker partitioning or biochemical compatibility between ATPS and sample components. However, since the mechanism of phase separation in porous media is not completely understood, introducing other ATPSs to paper is an unpredictable process that relies on trial and error experiments.

Ionic Liquid Aqueous Two-Phase Systems for the Enhanced Paper-Based Detection of Transferrin and .

Aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs) have been widely utilized for liquid-liquid extraction and purification of biomolecules, with some studies also demonstrating their capacity as a biomarker concentration technique for use in diagnostic settings. As the limited polarity range of conventional polymer-based ATPSs can restrict their use, ionic liquid (IL)-based ATPSs have been recently proposed as a promising alternative to polymer-based ATPSs, since ILs are regarded as tunable solvents with excellent solvation capabilities for a variety of natural compounds and proteins. This study demonstrates the first application of IL ATPSs to point-of-care diagnostics.