A novel low-cost approach of implementing electrochemiluminescence detection for microfluidic analytical systems

This paper presents an inexpensive approach of implementing electrochemiluminescence (ECL) detection for microfluidic analytical systems. It consists in using printed circuit board (PCB) technology to design electrodes and sealing the epoxy substrate with a transparent microfluidic structure in polymer for ECL detection and system integration. A pair of PCB electrodes (10 mm²) and an ECL microfluidic device are designed and fabricated. They are tested via luminol ECL detection to quantify H₂O₂. Characterization of the PCB electrodes is performed via the determination of the optimum potential (0.7 V vs. Ag/AgCl) to trigger luminol oxidation. Electrode potential is square-wave modulated from 0 to 0.7 V at a minimum period of 17 s. Measurements of on/off modulated ECL signals for different H₂O₂ concentrations are carried out to establish their relationship. The obtained results show a 50-nM detection limit at a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) equal to 3 and a linear range extending up to 0.1 mM in batch or in microfluidic conditions. The detection volumes for these two systems are 2 ml and 4 μl, respectively.