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Aqueous Droplets Used as Enzymatic Microreactors and Their Electromagnetic Actuation
Published on: August 28, 2017
Sample handling and chemical kinetics in an acoustically levitated drop microreactor
Zakiah N Pierre1, Christopher R Field, Alexander Scheeline
1Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.
Analytical Chemistry
|September 23, 2009
Summary
Acoustic levitation offers a novel microreactor for enzyme kinetics, avoiding surface adsorption issues common in traditional methods. This technique enables precise measurements for studying biochemical reactions and oxidative stress chemistry.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Chemical Engineering
- Physical Chemistry
Background:
- Enzyme kinetics are crucial for understanding biochemical reactions.
- Traditional methods (cuvettes, microfluidics) face challenges with reactant/product surface interactions.
- Acoustic levitation presents an alternative approach to overcome these limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and demonstrate an acoustically-levitated drop reactor for enzyme kinetics.
- To investigate enzyme-catalyzed reactions, particularly those involving free radicals and oxidative stress.
- To establish a microreactor system for handling microliter-scale droplets.
Main Methods:
- Developed an acoustically-levitated drop reactor.
- Engineered a three-capillary bundle system for droplet generation, reactant introduction, maintenance, and fluid removal.
- Performed kinetic measurements using luminol chemiluminescence and pyruvate-lactate dehydrogenase reactions.
Main Results:
- Successfully generated and maintained microliter-scale droplets using acoustic levitation.
- Demonstrated precise control over reactant delivery and fluid handling within the levitated drop.
- Obtained reliable kinetic measurements for selected enzyme-catalyzed reactions.
Conclusions:
- Acoustic levitation is a feasible microreactor for enzyme kinetics studies.
- The developed capillary system effectively supports reactions in levitated drops.
- This method minimizes surface adsorption issues, offering an advantage over conventional techniques.
