title: Biparametric potentiometric analytical microsystem for nitrate and potassium monitoring in water recycling processes for manned space missions.
abstract: The construction and evaluation of a Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC)-based continuous flow potentiometric microanalyzer prototype to simultaneously monitor the presence of two ions (potassium and nitrate) in samples from the water recycling process for future manned space missions is presented. The microsystem integrates microfluidics and the detection system in a single substrate and it is smaller than a credit card. The detection system is based on two ion-selective electrodes (ISEs), which are built using all-solid state nitrate and potassium polymeric membranes, and a screen-printed Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The obtained analytical features after the optimization of the microfluidic design and hydrodynamics are a linear range from 10 to 1000 mg L(-1) and from 1.9 to 155 mg L(-1) and a detection limit of 9.56 mg L(-1) and 0.81 mg L(-1) for nitrate and potassium ions respectively.
authors.affiliation: Group of Sensors and Biosensors, Department of Chemistry, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Edifici Cn, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calvo-López
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arasa-Puig
authors.forename: Mar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Puyol
authors.forename: Joan Manel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Casalta
authors.forename: Julián
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alonso-Chamarro
keywords: Lab on a chip; Low temperature co-fired ceramics technology; Miniaturization; Nitrate; Potassium; Potentiometric detection