CAREER: New Strategies for Electrochemical Detection in Microfluidic Systems

这项由分析和表面化学计划颁发的职业奖项支持弗吉尼亚联邦大学的胡里奥·阿尔瓦雷斯教授为开发电化学检测的新策略所做的工作。本研究的主要目的是利用微流控系统中的流动控制和多电极结构来提高电化学传感器的灵敏度和选择性。不同电极上发生的电化学反应之间的化学耦合将被用作增加模型分析物的电分析电流的一种方法。然而，调查的原则最终将应用于影响更广泛的分析探针(神经递质、杀虫剂等)。并在不需要微流体的小型化和流体控制的情况下使用传统的电分析池。在这个项目中实施的化学耦合原理是生物系统用来克服生命维持过程中严重的热力学和动力学限制的主要策略之一。此外，这项研究将是包括弗吉尼亚州里士满地区高中学生和教师以及弗吉尼亚联邦大学本科生在内的推广计划的一部分。这一倡议考虑实施廉价的微流控实验，以介绍基本的化学概念，目的是发展学生的探究和发现驱动的技能。

This CAREER award by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program supports work by Professor Julio Alvarez at Virginia Commonwealth University to develop new strategies for electrochemical detection. The main goal in this investigation is to attain enhancement of sensitivity and selectivity in electrochemical sensors by taking advantage of the flow control and the multi-electrode configurations accessible in microfluidic systems. Chemical coupling between electrochemical reactions occurring at different electrodes will be used as a way to increase electroanalytical currents for model analytes. Nevertheless, the investigated principles will eventually be applied to analytical probes of broader impact (neurotransmitters, pesticides, etc.) and using conventional electroanalytical cells where the miniaturization and fluid control of microfluidics is not needed. The chemical coupling principle implemented in this project is one of the major strategies that biological systems utilize to overcome severe thermodynamic and kinetics limitations in life-sustaining processes.Additionally, this research will be part of an outreach program involving senior students and teachers from high schools in the Richmond, VA area and undergraduates in Virginia Commonwealth University. This initiative contemplates the implementation of inexpensive microfluidic experiments for introducing basic chemical concepts with the goal of developing inquiry and discovery-driven skills in the students.