Fig. 6: High sensitivity of the nano reporter demonstrated with microfluidic experiments and molecular dynamics simulations.
From: A nano-structured reporter for high-sensitivity contaminant detection in groundwater
a Illustration of the microfluidic experiments with confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). b, c Visual comparison between the distribution of FPOCs (green fluorescence) and that of the contaminant probe (NR; red fluorescence) within the microfluidic chips containing FPOCs of varied mass and morphologies. Images are representative of 24 independent experiments with similar results. d Comparison of the normalized fluorescence (FL) areas (measured using the ImageJ processing software) of FPOCs and NR in the microfluidic experiments carried out with different porous media. e Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations showing the interaction between the nano carrier (PVA-fCB) and the probe (NR) in aqueous solutions. f Potential energy profiles derived from the MD simulations described in (e). g Left, MD simulations showing the distributions of PVA-fCB and NR when the nano reporter is in the vicinity of an FPOC‒water interface; right, density profiles of NR, fCB, and PVA in an FPOC‒water two-phase system during the MD simulations. h Potential energy profiles derived from the MD simulations described in (g); the legends show the specific pairs engaged in the interactions.
