Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2025

High-Throughput Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence and Direct Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy Using a Photonic Chip
Published on: November 16, 2019
Cactus-Inspired Photonic Crystal Chip for Attomolar Fluorescence Multi-analysis
Wenjing Peng1,2, Suyu Lin1,2, Diqin Guan1
1College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Supramolecular Coordination Materials and Applications, School of Physical Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou510632, China.
This study introduces a cactus-inspired photonic crystal chip for ultrasensitive environmental monitoring. It integrates spontaneous droplet sampling and fluorescence enhancement, achieving attomolar detection limits for multi-analyte analysis.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Environmental Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Environmental monitoring demands higher sensitivity and automation.
- Current sensory systems struggle with spontaneous sampling and ultrasensitive detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel photonic crystal chip inspired by cactus structures.
- To integrate spontaneous droplet sampling and fluorescence enhancement for sensitive multi-analyte detection.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a cactus-inspired photonic crystal chip with conical hydrophilic patterns.
- Utilizing unidirectional Laplace pressure for spontaneous droplet transport.
- Leveraging photonic crystal nanostructures for enhanced fluorescence detection.
Main Results:
- Achieved attomolar (2.24 × 10-19 M) fluorescence limit of detection (LOD) through synergistic effects.
- Demonstrated femtomolar (1.83 × 10-15 M) LOD for microcystin identification in urban water.
- Successfully integrated spontaneous sampling and signal enhancement for ultratrace analysis.
Conclusions:
- The cactus-inspired photonic crystal chip enables efficient, spontaneous sampling and ultrasensitive detection.
- This technology holds significant potential for environmental monitoring and disease diagnosis.
- The integration of Laplace pressure-driven transport and photonic bandgap enhancement offers a powerful platform for ultratrace analysis.

