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Title: High-precision chemical quantum sensing in flowing monodisperse microdroplets

Journal Article · · Science Advances
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2]; ORCiD logo [2];  [2]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [4];  [3];  [4]; ORCiD logo [5]
  1. University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
  2. University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
  3. Adamas Nanotechnologies Inc., Raleigh, NC (United States)
  4. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
  5. University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars Program, Toronto, ON (Canada)

A method is presented for high-precision chemical detection that integrates quantum sensing with droplet microfluidics. Using nanodiamonds (ND) with fluorescent nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers as quantum sensors, rapidly flowing microdroplets containing analyte molecules are analyzed. A noise-suppressed mode of optically detected magnetic resonance is enabled by pairing controllable flow with microwave control of NV electronic spins, to detect analyte-induced signals of a few hundredths of a percent of the ND fluorescence. Using this method, paramagnetic ions in droplets are detected with low limit-of-detection using small analyte volumes, with exceptional measurement stability over >103 s. In addition, these droplets are used as microconfinement chambers by co-encapsulating ND quantum sensors with various analytes such as single cells, suggesting wide-ranging applications including single-cell metabolomics and real-time intracellular measurements from bioreactors. Important advances are enabled by this work, including portable chemical testing devices, amplification-free chemical assays, and chemical imaging tools for probing reactions within microenvironments.

Research Organization:
Adamas Nanotechnologies Inc., Raleigh, NC (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
CIFAR Azrieli Foundation; US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences Division (CSGB); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Office of SBIR/STTR Programs (SBIR/STTR); William M. Keck Foundation
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231; SC0022441; SC0023065
OSTI ID:
2497295
Journal Information:
Science Advances, Journal Name: Science Advances Journal Issue: 50 Vol. 10; ISSN 2375-2548
Publisher:
AAASCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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