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Electrochemical Control with High Spatiotemporal Resolutions for Extracellular pH Microenvironment
Jingyu Wang1, Yongchao Xie1, Yi Chen1
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States.
ACS Electrochemistry
|September 18, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed an electrochemical method to precisely control the pH microenvironment around cells. This biocompatible technique offers fast, localized pH modulation for microbial applications.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Electrochemistry
- Microbiology
Background:
- Local pH significantly impacts cellular metabolism and physiology in all organisms.
- Existing methods lack the spatiotemporal control needed to program biological pH microenvironments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a biocompatible electrochemical approach for spatiotemporal control of pH microenvironments.
- To enable precise manipulation of cellular pH for microbial applications.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a quinone-based redox couple for electrochemical proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET).
- Designed a hydrophilic hydroquinone/quinone redox couple with a specific redox potential to minimize interference with bacterial respiration.
- Integrated the redox couple with interdigitated electrodes in a microfluidic device.
Main Results:
- Achieved spatiotemporal pH control with fast temporal modulation (~10 seconds) and high spatial resolution (~10 micrometers).
- Demonstrated a biocompatible method for localized pH manipulation suitable for biological systems.
- The designed redox couple showed minimal interference with essential cellular processes like aerobic respiration.
Conclusions:
- Biocompatible electrochemistry provides a novel platform for perturbing biological microenvironments at the cellular or subcellular level.
- This technique offers unprecedented control over the pH microenvironment for studying cellular responses and developing new microbial applications.
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