Abstract
Refractometry is a classic analytical method in analytical chemistry and biosensing. By integrating advanced micro- and nano-optical systems with well-developed microfluidics technology, optofluidics are shown to be a powerful, smart and universal platform for refractive index sensing applications. This paper reviews recent work on optofluidic refractometers based on different sensing mechanisms and structures (e.g., photonic crystal/photonic crystal fibers, waveguides, whisper gallery modes and surface plasmon resonance), and traces the performance enhancement due to the synergistic integration of optics and microfluidics. A brief discussion of future trends in optofluidic refractometers, namely volume sensing and resolution enhancement, are also offered.
Highlights
Refractive index (RI), a basic physical substance property, can be used to measure solute concentration and purity in transparent liquor such as Salinity and Brix
By integrating advanced micro- and nano-optical systems with well-developed microfluidics technology, optofluidics has ushered in a new era of lab-on-a-chip functionality [15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22], including biochemical sensing with optical measurement [23], optofluidic imaging [24], and light-driven manipulation [25,26]
An integOrSaAte. d planar optical waveguide (POW) has been utilized for RI sensing for several decades [23.22]. .PlIannatrhOisptitcyapl We aovfegsueidnessor, light propagates along the solid waveguide, around which an evanescent field interacts with the analyte to induce phase shift or intensity variation
Summary
Refractive index (RI), a basic physical substance property, can be used to measure solute concentration and purity in transparent liquor such as Salinity and Brix. By integrating advanced micro- and nano-optical systems with well-developed microfluidics technology, optofluidics has ushered in a new era of lab-on-a-chip functionality [15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22], including biochemical sensing with optical measurement [23], optofluidic imaging [24], and light-driven manipulation [25,26]. An extremely small analyte volume (i.e., nL) and some related treatments of biological samples, such as cultivating, sorting, trapping, and purification, can be achieved with microfluidics technology. Other analytical methods, including chromatography, electrophoresis, can be achieved with microfluidics technology. Other analytical methods, including chromatography, eMleiccrotmroacphhinoesre20s1is8,, 9a,n13d6 Raman scattering, can be cascaded with the RI sensing function to carry oofu10t complex analysis. Anedwisicduesassiofnrormegtahredirnegadtheresfi. eld’s ongoing development is offered with the hope to inspire more new ideas from the readers
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