Thermoset polyester as an alternative material for microchip electrophoresis/electrochemistry.

Microchip CE coupled with electrochemical detection (MCE-EC) is a good method for the direct detection of many small molecule analytes because the technique is sensitive and readily miniaturized. Polymer materials are being increasingly used with MCE due to their affordability and ease of fabrication. While PDMS has become arguably the most widely used material in MCE-EC due to the simplicity of microelectrode incorporation, it suffers from a lack of separation efficiency, lower surface stability, and a tendency for analyte sorption.

Generation of hydrophilic poly(dimethylsiloxane) for high-performance microchip electrophoresis.

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) has become one of the most widely used materials for microchip capillary electrophoresis and microfluidics. The popularity of this material is the result of its low cost, simple fabrication, and rugged elastomeric properties. The hydrophobic nature of PDMS, however, limits its applicability for microchip CE, microfluidic patterning, and other nonelectrophoresis applications.

Simplified current decoupler for microchip capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical and pulsed amperometric detection.

There is a need to develop broadly applicable, highly sensitive detection methods for microchip CE that do not require analyte derivatization. LIF is highly sensitive but typically requires analyte derivatization. Electrochemistry provides an alternative method for direct analyte detection; however, in its most common form, direct current (DC) amperometry, it is limited to a small number of easily oxidizable or reducible analytes.

Simple and sensitive electrode design for microchip electrophoresis/electrochemistry.

A simple and sensitive electrode design for microchip capillary electrophoresis/electrochemistry (CE-EC) is presented. The system employs metal microwires as the working electrodes for electrochemical detection. Two general approaches for integration of electrodes in microchip CE-EC are commonly used, end-channel and microfabrication.