Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
10:28
Sensitivity Enhancement of Soft Capacitive Pressure Sensors Using a Solvent Evaporation-Based Porosity Control Technique
Published on: March 24, 2023
Light-addressable potentiometric sensors: principles, strategies, and applications
Yizhen Jia1, Shulin Chen1, Jinghua Li1,2,3
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. li.11017@osu.edu.
Chemical Communications (Cambridge, England)
|July 29, 2026
Summary
Light-addressable potentiometric sensors (LAPS) offer advanced biosensing for detecting chemical biomarkers and electrical signals in tissues. This review details LAPS technology, applications, and future potential for biomedical research and global health.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Sensor Technology
- Biosensing
Background:
- Light-addressable potentiometric sensors (LAPS) are emerging as a powerful tool for detecting chemical and electrical signals in biological systems.
- Accurate, spatially resolved measurements are crucial for understanding complex biological processes and disease states.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive review of the working principles, design considerations, and recent advancements in LAPS technology.
- To summarize the diverse applications of LAPS in chemical imaging and electrophysiological detection.
- To identify current challenges and outline future directions for LAPS in biosensing and biomedical imaging.
Main Methods:
- Review of semiconductor device physics and sensing interface designs for LAPS.
- Analysis of configurable illumination systems for enhanced LAPS performance.
- Compilation and synthesis of recent research on LAPS applications in various biological contexts.
Main Results:
- LAPS technology enables quantitative and spatially resolved detection of biomarkers and electrophysiological signals.
- Applications span pH mapping, ion detection, enzyme/aptamer-based sensing, and electrophysiological recordings from cells to in vivo tissues.
- Progress has been made in semiconductor devices, sensing interfaces, and illumination systems.
Conclusions:
- LAPS present a versatile platform for advanced biosensing and imaging with significant potential for biomedical research.
- Further development is needed to address current challenges and fully realize LAPS capabilities for global health initiatives.
- This review offers practical guidance for researchers and developers in the field of LAPS biosensing.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Potentiometry: Membrane Electrodes
Membrane electrodes, also known as p-ion electrodes, use membranes that selectively interact with free analyte ions, generating a potential difference across the membrane. The resulting membrane potential, known as the asymmetry potential, is not zero even when analyte concentrations on both sides of the membrane are equal. The membrane's response is typically not selective to a single analyte but proportional to the concentration of all ions in the sample solution capable of interacting at the...
01:06Potentiometry: Overview
Potentiometry is an analytical technique that measures the potential difference between two electrodes in an electrochemical cell without drawing any significant current that could alter the solution's composition. This method employs an indicator electrode, which exchanges electrons with the analyte solution, and a reference electrode with a constant potential. Each electrode is immersed in a solution comprised of two half-cells. In a conventional setup, the reference electrode serves as the...
01:19Potentiometry: Types of Electrodes
Reference electrodes serve as a stable reference point for potentiometric measurements, while indicator and working electrodes react to variations in the composition of a solution.
The Standard Hydrogen Electrode (SHE) is a widely used reference electrode that maintains zero potential across all temperatures. However, its need for a continuous hydrogen gas supply renders it impractical for everyday use.
An alternative to SHE is the Saturated Calomel Electrode (SCE). This electrode features an...
The Standard Hydrogen Electrode (SHE) is a widely used reference electrode that maintains zero potential across all temperatures. However, its need for a continuous hydrogen gas supply renders it impractical for everyday use.
An alternative to SHE is the Saturated Calomel Electrode (SCE). This electrode features an...
01:30Potentiometer
Voltage and current measurements using a standard voltmeter and ammeter alter the circuit being measured either by drawing or resisting the current flow, which introduces uncertainties in the measurements. Null measurements balance the voltages so that no current flows through the measuring device and, therefore, no alterations occur in the measured circuit.
Suppose the emf of a battery needs to be measured. If the battery is directly connected to a standard voltmeter, the measured quantity is...
Suppose the emf of a battery needs to be measured. If the battery is directly connected to a standard voltmeter, the measured quantity is...
01:17Controlled-Potential Coulometry: Electrolytic Methods
Controlled-potential coulometry, also known as potentiostatic coulometry, employs a three-electrode system in which the working electrode's potential is precisely regulated using a potentiostat. Platinum working electrodes are utilized for positive potentials, while mercury pool electrodes are favored for extremely negative potentials. The platinum counter electrode is separated from the analyte using a membrane or salt bridge to avoid interference in the analysis.
The chosen potential ensures...
The chosen potential ensures...
01:06Interfacial Electrochemical Methods: Overview
Interfacial electrochemical methods focus on the phenomena occurring at the boundary between an electrode and a solution, as opposed to bulk methods that concentrate on the solution's overall properties. These interfacial methods are classified as either static or dynamic based on the presence of a nonzero current in the electrochemical cell and the consistency of analyte concentrations. Static methods, such as potentiometry, measure the cell's potential without any significant current passing...