On-chip cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy using a white light-emitting diode and polymer mirrors

We have developed a disposable microfluidic chip with integrated cavity mirrors comprised of two pieces of 3M Vikuiti™ enhanced specular reflector II (ESRII) film, for performing cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy with a white light-emitting diode (LED). Compared to measurements made with a chip without cavity mirrors, the absorption path length is enhanced by a maximum factor of 28 at 544 nm, and the sensitivity is enhanced by approximately 5 times, enabling micromolar range detection limits to be achieved in an optical path length of only 50 μm.