Microfluidically prepared sensor particles for determination of chloride by fluorescence quenching of matrix-embedded lucigenin

Polyacrylamide sensor particles have been synthesized by using a microfluidic arrangement for generation of microdroplets containing a reaction mixture for forming gel microparticles. The droplets are formed in an inert carrier liquid immiscible with the reaction mixture based on aqueous solutions. Gel particles are formed in situ by photochemical initiation of polymerization inside droplets using an UV-sensitive photoinitiator. In result, water-swellable spheres with submillimetre size are obtained. Those spheres were loaded with N,N′-dimethyl-9,9′-biacridinium dinitrate (lucigenin) as ion selective fluorescence probe for chloride. The particles can be dried, stored and re-swollen. Upon exposure of dried particles to sodium chloride solutions they showed dynamic fluorescence quenching obeying the linear plot of Stern–Volmer-equation between 0 and 130 mM Cl−. Thus, chloride concentrations up to 50 mM could be measured with appropriate accuracy. The particles allow a fast optical determination of chloride in tiny analyte volumes down to below ten microliters.