Pin-printed chemical sensor arrays for simultaneous multianalyte quantification.

A new approach to rapidly produce micrometer-scale sensor elements into reusable multianalyte chemical sensor arrays is demonstrated. By using pin printing technology in concert with sol-gel processing methods, we form discrete xerogel-based microsensors on a planar substrate. We illustrate the new approach by forming discrete 02- and pH-responsive sensing elements into arrays that allow one to simultaneously determine O2 and pH in aqueous samples. The pin printing method allows one to prepare sensor elements that are on the order of 100 microm in diameter, 1-2 microm thick, at a rate of approximately one sensor element per second with a single pin. Within a given calibrated array, the sensor element-to-sensor element response is reproducible to within 5%, the sensor element short- and long-term reproducibilities are 3 and 6%, respectively, and the array-to-array response reproducibility is 11%. These results demonstrate the potential of this methodology for rapidly forming ensembles of reusable sensor arrays for simultaneous multianalyte detection.