Thin-film polymer light emitting diodes as integrated excitation sources for microscale capillary electrophoresis.
We report the use of a thin-film polymer light emitting diode as an integrated excitation source for microfabricated capillary electrophoresis. The polyfluorene-based diode has a peak emission wavelength of 488 nm, an active area of 40 microm x 1000 microm and a thickness of similar 2 mm. The simple layer-by-layer deposition procedures used to fabricate the polymer component allow facile integration with planar chip-based systems. To demonstrate the efficacy of the approach, the polyfluorene diode is used as an excitation source for the detection of fluorescent dyes separated on-chip by electrophoresis. Using a conventional confocal detection system the integrated pLED is successfully used to detect fluorescein and 5-carboxyfluorescein at concentrations as low as 10(-6) M with a mass detection limit of 50 femtomoles. The drive voltages required to generate sufficient emission from the polymer diode device are as low as 3.7 V.
Edel
Joshua B
JB
Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London, UKSW7 2AZ.
Beard
Nigel P
NP
Hofmann
Oliver
O
deMello
John C
JC
Bradley
Donal D C
DD
deMello
Andrew J
AJ
D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D004581:Electronics / Q000295:instrumentation; D019075:Electrophoresis, Capillary / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D005449:Fluorenes / Q000737:chemistry; D005453:Fluorescence; D008832:Microchemistry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D005449:Fluorenes; D011108:Polymers; C041509:fluorene