(375c) Dynamic Complex Emulsion Based Multiplexed Sensing Array for Environmental Contaminants Detection

Continuous and real-time monitoring of emerging environmental contaminants is essential for acquiring actionable information and detecting subtle changes of various transients in a real-world environment. Many laboratory-based, analytical techniques for the detection of contaminants (e.g., heavy metals and per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, PFASs) are cost-prohibitive for large-scale, distributed sensors. Moreover, they are often not suitable for rapid, on-site, and frequent detection. Hence, we report a novel sensing platform that utilizes multicomponent emissive complex droplets as multiplexed sensing elements to detect multiple environmental contaminants simultaneously. Specifically, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic chip is fabricated as a sensing chamber that holds complex droplets and facilitates continuous monitoring of targeted analytes through an optical detection method. We measure the dynamic changes in interfacial tensions at multiple interfaces of fluorophore embedded complex droplets while interacting with the targeted chemical compounds. These measurements are correlated with the concentrations of targeted chemical compounds. Additionally, we test the selectivity of the sensing platform towards the analytes in a realistic matrix of synthetic groundwater. This framework promotes a unique and robust method of sensing that can provide rapid, on-site detection of environmental contaminants in complex matrices.