Enzyme Method-Based Microfluidic Chip for the Rapid Detection of Copper Ions

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Marine environments face pollution from high concentrations of metal ions.
• Human activities and industrial processes are primary sources of copper ion (Cu²⁺) contamination.
• Rapid and accurate detection of Cu²⁺ is crucial for environmental monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rapid, enzyme-based microfluidic method for detecting Cu²⁺ in seawater.
• To create a detection system with both visual and spectrophotometric readouts.
• To assess the chip's sensitivity, selectivity, and practical applicability.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a microfluidic chip employing an enzyme-based detection strategy.
• Relied on the inhibition of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) activity by Cu²⁺ reduction to Cu⁺.
• Incorporated a colorimetric readout for visual and spectrophotometric analysis.

Main Results:

• Achieved a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.87 nM for Cu²⁺.
• Demonstrated a linear relationship between Cu²⁺ concentrations (3.91 nM to 256 μM) and absorbance.
• Confirmed selectivity, as other common metal ions did not interfere with detection.
• Successfully validated the chip's performance using three real seawater samples.

Conclusions:

• The developed enzyme-based microfluidic chip provides a highly sensitive and selective method for rapid Cu²⁺ detection in marine environments.
• The chip's ability to function with real seawater samples highlights its practical utility for pollution monitoring.
• The chip's logical gate functionalities suggest potential for advanced biochemical detection and biological computing applications.