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Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Interfacial Molecular-level Structures of Polymers and Biomacromolecules Revealed via Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy
Published on: August 13, 2019
Visual Chemical Detection Mechanism by a Liquid Gating System with Dipole-Induced Interfacial Molecular
Yi Fan1, Zhizhi Sheng1,2, Jun Chen1,2
1State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China.
Abstract:
Chemical detection has a wide range of applications. The detection of a certain substance is so vital that new detection mechanisms with features such as low-cost, accessibility, and readily available visual markers are in demand. Herein, a liquid-gating-based chemical-detection mechanism is reported, which has a dynamic gas/liquid interface due to dipole-induced interfacial molecular reconfiguration. The mechanism exhibits a sensitive relationship between the dipole-force-induced rearrangement of interfacial molecules and transmembrane gating behavior. These features can be utilized to create visual markers for detection by converting the analyte-mediated interfacial interaction to a pressure-driven marker movement. This "green" detection mechanism requires no electrical energy input and has readily available markers for anyone to observe directly. This new mechanism opens a window for a more in-depth exploration of combining liquid-gating mechanisms with detection mechanisms.
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