A portable lab-on-a-chip system for gold-nanoparticle-based colorimetric detection of metal ions in water

作者：Zhao Chen; Zhong Guowei; Kim Da Eun; Liu Jinxia; Liu Xinyu^*

来源：Biomicrofluidics, 2014, 8(5): 052107.

DOI：10.1063/1.4894244

Heavy metal ions released into various water systems have a severe impact on the environment and human beings, and excess exposure to toxic metal ions through drinking water poses high risks to human health and causes life-threatening diseases. Thus, there is high demand for the development of a rapid, low-cost, and sensitive method for detection of metal ions in water. We present a portable analytical system for colorimetric detection of lead (Pb2+) and aluminum (Al3+) ions in water based on gold nanoparticle probes and lab-on-a-chip instrumentation. The colorimetric detection of metal ions is conducted via single-step assays with low limits of detection (LODs) and high selectivity. We design a custom-made microwell plate and a handheld colorimetric reader for implementing the assays and quantifying the signal readout. The calibration experiments demonstrate that this portable system provides LODs of 30 ppb for Pb2+ and 89 ppb for Al3+, both comparable to bench-top analytical spectrometers. It promises an effective platform for metal ion analysis in a more economical and convenient way, which is particularly useful for water quality monitoring in field and resource-poor settings.

• 出版日期2014-9
• 单位McGill