Smartphone as a fluorescence detector for high-performance liquid chromatography.

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Chromatography
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Fluorescence detection in HPLC offers high specificity and sensitivity but is often limited by cost and bulk.
• Advancements in smartphone technology enable portable, cost-effective solutions for data acquisition and analysis.
• Integrating smartphones with HPLC can overcome limitations of conventional fluorescence detectors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a miniaturized, low-cost HPLC fluorescence detector utilizing smartphone technology.
• To enable simultaneous detection of fluorescent compounds with different excitation wavelengths.
• To provide a customizable and user-friendly alternative to commercial HPLC detectors.

Main Methods:

• A smartphone was used to capture emitted fluorescence in video format.
• MATLAB code processed video data to generate chromatograms.
• A custom-designed double-channel flow cell with monochromatic LEDs and 3D-printed components was employed.
• Flow cell geometry and manufacturing techniques were optimized.

Main Results:

• A functional, low-cost smartphone-based HPLC fluorescence detector was successfully developed.
• The system detected six fluorescent molecules with high sensitivity.
• Simultaneous detection of compounds with different excitation wavelengths was achieved using a double-channel flow cell.
• Spiking recoveries in water samples ranged from 91.7% to 109.7%.

Conclusions:

• This study presents the first smartphone-based fluorescence detector for HPLC, featuring cost-effective, customizable flow cells.
• The system allows simultaneous detection of fluorescent compounds and offers a solution for analyzing co-eluting compounds.
• Smartphone detection in HPLC presents opportunities for further miniaturization, high sensitivity, and broader applicability.