A Miniature Gas Sampling Interface with Open Microfluidic Channels: Characterization of Gas-to-Liquid Extraction Efficiency of Volatile Organic Compounds

Abstract

Chemosensory protein based olfactory biosensors are expected to play a significant role in next-generation volatile organic compound (VOC) detection systems due to their ultra-high sensitivity and selectivity. As these biosensors can perform most efficiently in aqueous environments, the detection systems need to incorporate a gas sampling interface for gas-to-liquid extraction. This interface should extract the VOCs from the gas phase with high efficiency and transfer them into the liquid containing biosensors to enable subsequent detection. To design such a transfer interface, an understanding of the key parameters influencing the gas-to-liquid extraction efficiency of target VOCs is crucial. This paper reports a gas sampling interface system based on a microfluidic open-channel device for gas-to-liquid extraction. By using this device as a model platform, the key parameters dictating the VOC extraction efficiency were identified. When loaded with 30 μL of capture liquid, the microfluidic device generates a gas-liquid interface area of 3 cm2 without using an interfacial membrane. The pumpless operation based on capillary flow was demonstrated for capture liquid loading and collection. Gas samples spiked with lipophilic model volatiles (hexanal and allyl methyl sulfide) were used for characterization of the VOC extraction efficiency. Decreasing the sampling temperature to 15 °C had a significant impact on increasing capture efficiency, while variation in the gas sampling flow rate had no significant impact in the range between 40–120 mL min−1. This study found more than a 10-fold increase in capture efficiency by chemical modification of the capture liquid with alpha-cyclodextrin. The highest capture efficiency of 30% was demonstrated with gas samples spiked with hexanal to a concentration of 16 ppm (molar proportion). The approach in this study should be useful for further optimisation of miniaturised gas-to-liquid extraction systems and contribute to the design of chemosensory protein-based VOC detection systems.

Bio-Inspired Strategies for Improving the Selectivity and Sensitivity of Artificial Noses: A Review

“…The perireceptor events become an important source of inspiration for their sensitive and selective detection. [120] proposed an open channel microfluidic card for gas-to-liquid extraction. (d) The design proposed by Harun et al [121] helped to separate a sample spatially and temporally.…”

“…(d) The design proposed by Harun et al [121] helped to separate a sample spatially and temporally. [120] proposed an open channel microfluidic card for gas-to-liquid extraction. (d) The design proposed by Harun et al [121] helped to separate a sample spatially and temporally.…”

“…It prevents the evaporation of water while allowing the diffusion of odorant molecules. Warden et al [120] proposed another strategy with open microfluidic channels relying on capillarity (Figure 8c). Alpha-cyclodextrin added in the capture liquid enabled reasonable capture efficiency, up to 30% for hexanal at 16 ppm.…”

Application of a Microfluidic Gas-to-Liquid Interface for Extraction of Target Amphetamines and Precursors from Air Samples

“…A microfluidic gas-to-liquid (GTL) interface that uses an open capillary bed as a method of VOC capture has recently been developed [22]. The GTL interface dispersed 30 µL of a liquid capture agent throughout a microfluidic channel network.…”

“…It was also found that decreasing the interface temperature to 15 • C during sampling and introducing a lipophilic binding agent such as α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) increased extraction efficiency for compounds with low water solubility. Under optimal conditions, the microfluidic GTL interface exhibited extraction efficiencies of 3.7% and 30% for allyl methyl sulfide and hexanal, respectively [22]. It is hypothesised that such a microfluidic device could be capable of extracting volatile ATS in gas samples.…”