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A Microfluidic Chip for the Versatile Chemical Analysis of Single Cells
Published on: October 15, 2013
A polymeric microfluidic chip for CE/MS determination of small molecules
J Kameoka1, H G Craighead, H Zhang
1School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
Analytical Chemistry
|May 17, 2001
Summary
This study presents a novel polymeric microfluidic chip for capillary electrophoresis (CE) and mass spectrometry (MS) detection of small molecules. The chip enables rapid, sensitive analysis of compounds like carnitines without surface treatment.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Microfluidics
- Polymer Science
Background:
- Capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) is a powerful analytical technique.
- Developing cost-effective and disposable microfluidic devices for CE-MS is desirable for wider application.
- Polymeric materials offer advantages for microfabrication but often require surface modifications for optimal performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate and evaluate a polymeric microfluidic chip for capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (CE-MS).
- To demonstrate the chip's capability for analyzing polar small molecules without surface treatment.
- To assess the performance of the chip for selected ion monitoring (SIM) and selected reaction monitoring (SRM) MS detection.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a silicon master using photolithography and dry etching.
- Embossing a microfluidic channel in Zeonor 1020 polymer using the silicon master.
- Thermal bonding of a polymer cover to create an enclosed microfluidic chip.
- Integration of a microsprayer for direct electrospray ionization (ESI) MS detection.
- Capillary electrophoresis separation of small molecules within the microfluidic chip.
Main Results:
- Successful fabrication of a polymeric microfluidic chip with dimensions suitable for CE.
- Demonstrated CE separation of carnitine, acylcarnitine, and butylcarnitine without polymer surface treatment.
- Achieved high separation efficiencies (1,650–18,000 plates) in under 10 seconds.
- Obtained sensitive detection with low injection quantities (0.2 nmol) and good signal-to-noise ratios.
- Direct electrospray mass spectrometric detection of CE-separated components was achieved.
Conclusions:
- Polymeric chip-based devices are feasible for direct electrospray ionization CE-MS applications.
- The developed microfluidic chip offers a cost-effective and disposable platform for small molecule analysis.
- The absence of surface treatment simplifies fabrication and broadens the applicability of polymer microfluidic devices.
