Sustainable and Efficient: A Reusable DIY Three-Electrode Base Plate for Microfluidic Electroanalysis and Biosensing.

Abstract

A sustainable three-electrode platform for affordable microfluidic electroanalysis is described. The device can be handmade using common tools and, facilitating broad applicability, is indefinitely reusable through simple surface polishing. Compact prototypes with Pt counter, Pt working, and Ag/AgCl reference electrode disks were combined with silicone lid plates containing a microchannel for electrolyte flow. Redox voltammetry/amperometry of excellent quality was achieved in static and flowing ferricyanide solutions, respectively. Modified with a glucose oxidase surface layer, base plate Pt WEs performed very well as amperometric biosensors for microfluidic blood glucose testing. The electrode system is recyclable, compatible with matching lid plate microchannels, and functionally adaptable regarding the constituent metal and electrode surface modifications. This asset combination makes the device a sustainable detection tool for microfluidic electroanalysis, with applications ranging from direct detection of redox-active analytes to bioreceptor-assisted biosensing. It avoids costly microfabrication with clean-room use, and the accessibility of microfluidic EC (bio)sensing is thus greatly increased, especially for users with restricted budgets.