Numerical Study on a Bio-Inspired Micropillar Array Electrode in a Microfluidic Device

The micropillar array electrode (mu AE) has been widely applied in microchip-based electrochemical detection systems due to a large current response. However, it was found that amplifying the current through further adjusting geometrical parameters is generally hindered by the shielding effect. To solve this problem, a bio-inspired micropillar array electrode (b mu AE) based on the microfluidic device has been proposed in this study. The inspiration is drawn from the structure of leatherback sea turtles' mouths. By deforming a mu AE to rearrange the micropillars on bilateral sides of the microchannel, the contact area between micropillars and analytes increases, and thus the current is substantially improved. A numerical simulation was then used to characterize the electrochemical performance of b mu AEs. The effects of geometrical and hydrodynamic parameters on the current of b mu AEs were investigated. Moreover, a prototypical microchip integrated with b mu AE was fabricated for detailed electrochemical measurement. The chronoamperometry measurements were conducted to verify the theoretical performance of b mu AEs, and the results suggest that the experimental data are in good agreement with those of the simulation model. This work presents a novel b mu AE with great potential for highly sensitive electrochemical detection and provides a new perspective on the efficient configuration of the mu AE.