Multiple structural color hydrogel array integrated with microfluidic chip for biochemical sensor

Abstract

This paper describes multiple structural color hydrogel array integrated with a two-layered microfluidic chip. The microfluidic chip can sense multiple physical/chemical targets (ex. concentration of chemicals and temperature) at the same time simply by eye-visible color changes of the arrayed stimuli-responsive structural color hydrogels in the top chambers. Sample solution was introduced in the bottom channel and react to the arrayed hydrogel via sandwiched porous membrane. We evaluated our device by measuring ethanol/water concentration and temperature, and confirmed the visible color changes of our sensor without any external equipment. We believe that our sensing device could be applied to a biochemical sensor or microanalytical chip for environmental monitoring sensor and wearable healthcare devices.