Development of the Pretreatment Method for Trace Analysis by Using Spontaneous Emulsification

Recently, micrometer-sized water-in-oil droplets (microdroplets) have been widely utilized as reaction containers and have realized high-throughput biochemical analyses. Since the microdroplets can isolate chemicals and prevent them from diffusive dilution, trace amounts of sample can be measured in each microdroplet. However, since there are few reports on the purification methods for microdroplet contents, their were limited analytical methods that could be applied to microdroplets. Recently, we developed a selective enrichment method for droplet contents by utilizing spontaneous emulsification induced by a nonionic surfactant, Span 80. In this review, an outline of this selective enrichment method is introduced. The controlling parameters are clarified based on the investigation of molecular transfer during spontaneous emulsification. In addition, the applications of this method to biochemical analyses are presented.

Automated summary

This review introduces a selective enrichment method for microdroplet contents by utilizing spontaneous emulsification induced by a nonionic surfactant, Span 80. The method allows for analysis and purification of microdroplets, enabling high-throughput biochemical analyses.