One-chip integrated dual amperometric/field-effect sensor for the detection of dissolved hydrogen
(2011)
Living cells are complex biological systems transforming metabolites taken up from the surrounding medium. Monitoring the responses of such cells to certain substrate concentrations is a challenging task and offers possibilities to gain insight into the vitality of a community influenced by the growth environment. Cell-based sensors represent a promising platform for monitoring the metabolic activity and thus, the “welfare” of relevant organisms. In the present study, metabolic responses of the model bacterium Escherichia coli in suspension, layered onto a capacitive field-effect structure, were examined to pulses of glucose in the concentration range between 0.05 and 2 mM. It was found that acidification of the surrounding medium takes place immediately after glucose addition and follows Michaelis–Menten kinetic behavior as a function of the glucose concentration. In future, the presented setup can, therefore, be used to study substrate specificities on the enzymatic level and may as well be used to perform investigations of more complex metabolic responses. Conclusions and perspectives highlighting this system are discussed.
Multi-parameter detection for supporting monitoring and control of biogas processes in agriculture
(2014)
Real-time and reliable monitoring of the biogas process is crucial for a stable and efficient operation of biogas production in order to avoid digester breakdowns. The concentration of dissolved hydrogen (H₂) represents one of the key parameters for biogas process control. In this work, a one-chip integrated combined amperometric/field-effect sensor for monitoring the dissolved H₂ concentration has been developed for biogas applications. The combination of two different transducer principles might allow a more accurate and reliable measurement of dissolved H₂ as an early warning indicator of digester failures. The feasibility of the approach has been demonstrated by simultaneous amperometric/field-effect measurements of dissolved H₂ concentrations in electrolyte solutions. Both, the amperometric and the field-effect transducer show a linear response behaviour in the H₂ concentration range from 0.1 to 3% (v/v) with a slope of 198.4 ± 13.7 nA/% (v/v) and 14.9 ± 0.5 mV/% (v/v), respectively.
Planar and three-dimensional (3D) interdigitated electrodes (IDE) with electrode digits separated by an insulating barrier of different heights were electrochemically characterized and compared in terms of their sensing properties. Due to the impact of the surface resistance, both types of IDE structures display a non-linear behavior in low-ionic strength solutions. The experimental data were fitted to an electrical equivalent circuit and interpreted taking into account the surface-charge-governed properties. The effect of a charged polyelectrolyte layer electrostatically assembled onto the sensor surface on the surface resistance in solutions with different KCl concentration is studied. In case of the same electrode footprint, 3D-IDEs show a larger cell constant and a higher sensitivity to molecular adsorption than that of planar IDEs. The obtained results demonstrate the potential of 3D-IDEs as a new transducer structure for a direct label-free sensing of charged molecules.
High-k perovskite oxide of barium strontium titanate (BST) represents a very attractive multi-functional transducer material for the development of (bio-)chemical sensors for liquids. In this work, BST films have been applied as a sensitive transducer material for a label-free detection of adsorbed charged macromolecules (positively charged polyelectrolytes) and concentration of hydrogen peroxide vapor as well as protection insulator layer for a contactless electrolyte-conductivity sensor. The experimental results of characterization of individual sensors are presented. Special emphasis is devoted towards the development of a capacitively-coupled contactless electrolyte-conductivity sensor.
Chemische Sensoren mit Bariumstrontiumtitanat als funktionelle Schicht zur Multiparameterdetektion
(2013)
It is well known that biochemical and biotechnological processes are strongly dependent and affected by a variety of physico-chemical parameters such as pH value, temperature, pressure and electrolyte conductivity. Therefore, these quantities have to be monitored or controlled in order to guarantee a stable process operation, optimization and high yield. In this work, a sensor chip for the multiparameter detection of three physico-chemical parameters such as electrolyte conductivity, pH and temperature is realized using barium strontium titanate (BST) as multipurpose material. The chip integrates a capacitively coupled four-electrode electrolyte-conductivity sensor, a capacitive field-effect pH sensor and a thin-film Pt-temperature sensor. Due to the multifunctional properties of BST, it is utilized as final outermost coating layer of the processed sensor chip and serves as passivation and protection layer as well as pH-sensitive transducer material at the same time. The results of testing of the individual sensors of the developed multiparameter sensor chip are presented. In addition, a quasi-simultaneous multiparameter characterization of the sensor chip in buffer solutions with different pH value and electrolyte conductivity is performed. To study the sensor behavior and the suitability of BST as multifunctional material under harsh environmental conditions, the sensor chip was exemplarily tested in a biogas digestate.
High-k perovskite oxide of barium strontium titanate (BST) represents a very attractive multi-functional transducer material for the development of (bio-)chemical sensors. In this work, a Si-based sensor chip containing Pt interdigitated electrodes covered with a thin BST layer (485 nm) has been developed for multi-parameter chemical sensing. The chip has been applied for the contactless measurement of the electrolyte conductivity, the detection of adsorbed charged macromolecules (positively charged polyelectrolytes of polyethylenimine) and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) vapor. The experimental results of functional testing of individual sensors are presented. The mechanism of the BST sensitivity to charged polyelectrolytes and H2O2 vapor has been proposed and discussed.