Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 30, 2025

04:33
Author Spotlight: Engineering Molecular Tools for Disease Detection and Imaging
Published on: December 8, 2023
1.1K
NQS-Doped PDMS Solid Sensor: From Water Matrix to Urine Enzymatic Application
Adrià Martínez-Aviñó1, Lusine Hakobyan1, Ana Ballester-Caudet1
1MINTOTA Research Group, Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Valencia, Dr. Moliner 50, Burjassot, 46100 Valencia, Spain.
Biosensors
|July 2, 2021
Summary
A new sensing membrane analyzes ammonium and urea in water and urine. This device uses a colorimetric reaction for rapid, portable, and energy-efficient in situ detection.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Environmental Science
Background:
- In situ analytical devices are crucial for real-time monitoring.
- Accurate detection of ammonium and urea is important in environmental and clinical settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel sensing membrane for in situ analysis of ammonium and urea.
- To evaluate the performance of the sensor in water and urine samples.
Main Methods:
- A polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite membrane embedded with 1,2-naphthoquinone-4-sulfonate (NQS) was fabricated.
- Urease-catalyzed hydrolysis was employed for urea detection.
- Diffuse reflectance measurements and digital image processing were used for colorimetric analysis.
Main Results:
- The sensor demonstrated successful qualitative and quantitative detection of ammonium and urea.
- A linear relationship was observed between sensor response and analyte concentration.
- Results were validated against a thymol-PDMS-based sensor using the Berthelot reaction.
Conclusions:
- The proposed sensing device offers a rapid, versatile, and portable method for in situ analysis.
- The use of non-toxic reagents and energy-efficient operation makes it suitable for field applications.
- This technology facilitates efficient environmental and clinical monitoring.

