A fully integrated on-chip electrochemical microreactor for the detection of total phosphorus in freshwater

In this work, a fully integrated on-chip electrochemical microreactor fabricated by MEMS technique is reported for the detection of total phosphorus (TP) in freshwater. Both a ultra-violet (UV) photocatalytic digestion unit and an electrochemical three-electrode unit are integrated on a chip to realize the microreactor. Without additional oxidizing reagent, a fully compatible electrochemical detection of TP can be achieved. The digestion rate is enhanced by thermally assisted UV photocatalysis, and the sensitivity of the electrochemical unit is increased by using interdigitated ultra-microelectrode array. The experimental results show that this integrated chip can perform a fully functional determination of total phosphorus.