(159b) Reconfigurable Complex Emulsions for Rapid, Real-Time, and Multiplexed Sensing Array

Rapid, real-time sensors are increasingly essential for environmental monitoring, disease diagnosis, and food safety. Conventional detection technologies and gold-standard methods require time-consuming procedures, delicate laboratory setup, and skilled lab personnel and are not suitable for rapid on-site detection of hazardous substances. This work aims to develop a multiplexed sensing array based on reconfigurable complex emulsions for multi-analytes and high-throughput analysis. Specifically, we investigate the real-time sensing properties of complex emulsions tagged with fluorescent dyes when exposed different target analytes. As a proof of concept, a microfluidic system comprising differentially functionalized complex emulsions is used to detect multiple analytes simultaneously via an optical detection technique. The proposed method promotes the idea of miniaturized, rapid detection technology to distinguish toxic chemical and biological elements qualitatively with a single droplet system. Thus, the system leads to understanding of the reciprocity between dynamic complex emulsion and targeted analytes, leveraging the development of rapid, portable, sensitive, and real-time sensors to help identifying multiple analytes.