Integration of Impedimetric Sensors for In Situ Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy in Free-Flow Electrophoresis Applications in Lab-on-Chip Systems.

Miniaturization and integration of chemical reactions into fluidic systems in combination with product purification or buffer exchange can reduce the amount of solvents and reactants required while increasing synthesis efficiency. A critical step is the regulation of flow rates to realize optimal synthesis conditions and high purification rates, so real-time, label-free monitoring is required in methods such as free-flow electrophoresis. Optical detection methods are widely used, but they often have complex excitation and detection setups that are disadvantageous for point-of-care applications. The method we have chosen is electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for detecting charged compounds in aqueous buffers with low ionic strength. Propranolol was selected for proof of concept and was separated from the organic solvent and the precursor oxirane by free-flow electrophoresis. For this purpose, electrode structures were fabricated in microfluidic channels by photolithographic lift-off technique and optimized in terms of positioning, electrode size and distance for sensitive detection, and quantification of propranolol in the nanomolar range. It is also noteworthy that the organic solvent dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) could be detected and quantified by an increased impedance magnitude. Subsequently, the optimized interdigital electrode structures were integrated into the outlet channels of the electrophoretic separation chamber to monitor the various outgoing fluidic streams and provide in-line control of the fluidic flows for the purification step. In conclusion, we can provide a microfluidic chip to monitor the separation efficiency of a substance mixture during free-flow electrophoresis without the need of complex analytical techniques using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.