Microscale insight into the proton concentration during electrolytic reaction via an optical microfiber: potential for microcurrent monitoring by a dielectric probe
Abstract Local microcurrent monitoring is of great significance for biological and battery systems, yet it poses a formidable challenge. The current measurement techniques rely on electromagnetic materials which inevitably introduce interference to the system under examination. To address this issue...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Publishing Group
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Light: Science & Applications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-025-01770-9 |
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| author | Yunyun Huang Jiaxuan Liang Haotian Wu Pengwei Chen Aoxiang Xiao Bai-Ou Guan |
| author_facet | Yunyun Huang Jiaxuan Liang Haotian Wu Pengwei Chen Aoxiang Xiao Bai-Ou Guan |
| author_sort | Yunyun Huang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Local microcurrent monitoring is of great significance for biological and battery systems, yet it poses a formidable challenge. The current measurement techniques rely on electromagnetic materials which inevitably introduce interference to the system under examination. To address this issue, a promising approach based on a dielectric fiber-optic sensor is demonstrated. The microfiber is capable of detecting microcurrent through monitoring the localized proton concentration signal with a pH resolution of 0.0052 pH units. By sensing the refractive index variation surrounding the sensor induced by the interaction between local proton concentration changes and oxidizer-treated microfiber surface through the evanescent field, this sensing mechanism effectively avoids the interference of the electromagnetic material on the performance of the tested system. This sensor exhibits a limit of detection for microcurrent of 1 μA. The sensing region is a microfiber with a diameter of 8.8 μm. It can get invaluable information that cannot be obtained through conventional electrochemical methods. Examples include photocurrent attenuation in photogenerated carrier materials during illumination, electrical activation in nerve cells, and fluctuations in the efficiency of electrical energy generation during battery discharge. This approach provides a powerful complement to electrochemical methods for the elucidation of microscale reaction mechanisms. The information provided by the prepared dielectric fiber-optic sensor will shed more light on proton kinetics and electrochemical and electrobiological mechanisms, which may fill an important gap in the current bioelectricity and battery monitoring methods. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4ffa8ac17e804e7ea9601dde7b7e61b5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2047-7538 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Light: Science & Applications |
| spelling | doaj-art-4ffa8ac17e804e7ea9601dde7b7e61b52025-02-09T12:54:59ZengNature Publishing GroupLight: Science & Applications2047-75382025-02-0114112210.1038/s41377-025-01770-9Microscale insight into the proton concentration during electrolytic reaction via an optical microfiber: potential for microcurrent monitoring by a dielectric probeYunyun Huang0Jiaxuan Liang1Haotian Wu2Pengwei Chen3Aoxiang Xiao4Bai-Ou Guan5Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Sensing and Communications, Institute of Photonics Technology, Jinan UniversityGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Sensing and Communications, Institute of Photonics Technology, Jinan UniversityGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Sensing and Communications, Institute of Photonics Technology, Jinan UniversityGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Sensing and Communications, Institute of Photonics Technology, Jinan UniversityGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Sensing and Communications, Institute of Photonics Technology, Jinan UniversityGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Sensing and Communications, Institute of Photonics Technology, Jinan UniversityAbstract Local microcurrent monitoring is of great significance for biological and battery systems, yet it poses a formidable challenge. The current measurement techniques rely on electromagnetic materials which inevitably introduce interference to the system under examination. To address this issue, a promising approach based on a dielectric fiber-optic sensor is demonstrated. The microfiber is capable of detecting microcurrent through monitoring the localized proton concentration signal with a pH resolution of 0.0052 pH units. By sensing the refractive index variation surrounding the sensor induced by the interaction between local proton concentration changes and oxidizer-treated microfiber surface through the evanescent field, this sensing mechanism effectively avoids the interference of the electromagnetic material on the performance of the tested system. This sensor exhibits a limit of detection for microcurrent of 1 μA. The sensing region is a microfiber with a diameter of 8.8 μm. It can get invaluable information that cannot be obtained through conventional electrochemical methods. Examples include photocurrent attenuation in photogenerated carrier materials during illumination, electrical activation in nerve cells, and fluctuations in the efficiency of electrical energy generation during battery discharge. This approach provides a powerful complement to electrochemical methods for the elucidation of microscale reaction mechanisms. The information provided by the prepared dielectric fiber-optic sensor will shed more light on proton kinetics and electrochemical and electrobiological mechanisms, which may fill an important gap in the current bioelectricity and battery monitoring methods.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-025-01770-9 |
| spellingShingle | Yunyun Huang Jiaxuan Liang Haotian Wu Pengwei Chen Aoxiang Xiao Bai-Ou Guan Microscale insight into the proton concentration during electrolytic reaction via an optical microfiber: potential for microcurrent monitoring by a dielectric probe Light: Science & Applications |
| title | Microscale insight into the proton concentration during electrolytic reaction via an optical microfiber: potential for microcurrent monitoring by a dielectric probe |
| title_full | Microscale insight into the proton concentration during electrolytic reaction via an optical microfiber: potential for microcurrent monitoring by a dielectric probe |
| title_fullStr | Microscale insight into the proton concentration during electrolytic reaction via an optical microfiber: potential for microcurrent monitoring by a dielectric probe |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microscale insight into the proton concentration during electrolytic reaction via an optical microfiber: potential for microcurrent monitoring by a dielectric probe |
| title_short | Microscale insight into the proton concentration during electrolytic reaction via an optical microfiber: potential for microcurrent monitoring by a dielectric probe |
| title_sort | microscale insight into the proton concentration during electrolytic reaction via an optical microfiber potential for microcurrent monitoring by a dielectric probe |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-025-01770-9 |
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