Welcome to the Buhlmann Group!

Our group is interested in the use of molecular recognition for chemical sensing. On one hand, we develop chemical sensors for clinical and environmental applications. Our research focuses on new receptors that bind analytes of interest with high selectivity, novel strategies to obtain very low detection limits, and perfluoropolymers that permit long-term monitoring and eventually the implantation into the human body. On the other hand, we chemically modify metal and carbon nanotube tips, and use them in scanning tunneling microscopy for chemically selective imaging with molecular resolution.

Recent Publications

Ion-Selective Potentiometry with Plasma-Initiated Covalent Attachment of Sensing Membranes onto Inert Polymeric Substrates and Carbon Solid Contacts, Choi K.R.; Honig, ML.; Bühlmann, P. Analytical Chemistry 2024 [Full Text]

Non-covalent modification of graphene-based chemical sensors, Zhen, X.; Bühlmann, P.; Koester, S. J.US patent 11,923,419 B2, March 5, 2024

Hydrophilic Redox Buffers for Textile-Based Potentiometric Sensors, Herrero, E. J.; Goto, T.; Bühlmann, P. Sensors and Actuators B 2024 [Accepted]

Microporous Ag/AgCl on a Titanium Scaffold for Use in Capillary Reference Electrodes, Robinson, E.; Troudt, B.; Bühlmann, P. Analytical Chemistry 2024 [Accepted]

Chemical Sensors with Non-Covalent, Electrostatic Surface Modification of Graphene, Zhen, X.; Buhlmann, P.; Koester, S.; Nelson, J., US Patent 11,867,596 B2; patent issued Jan 9, 2024 

Effect of Ion Identity on Capacitance and Ion-to-Electron Transduction in Ion-Selective Electrodes with Nanographite and Carbon Nanotube Solid Contacts, Rousseau, C.; Chipangura, Y.; Stein, A.; Bühlmann, P.  Langmuir, 2023, [Accepted]

Design Criteria for Nanostructured Carbon Materials as Solid Contacts for Ion-Selective Sensors, Chipangura, Y. E.; Spindler, B. D.; Bühlmann, P.; Stein, A. Adv mater, 2023, Full text

Covalently Attached Ionophores to Extend the Working Range of Potentiometric pH Sensors with Poly(decyl methacrylate) Sensing Membranes, Choi K.R.; Honig ML.; Bühlmann, P. Analyst  2023, [Accepted]

Determination of forced convection effects on the response of membrane-based ion-selective electrodes via numerical solution to the Navier-Stokes-Nernst-Plank-Poisson equations, Andrews, AJ.; Bühlmann, P.; Hogan, CJ. Chem. Eng. Sci. 2023, Full text

Influence of the Composition of Plasticizer-free Silicone-based Ion-selective Membranes on Signal Stability in Aqueous and Blood Plasma Samples, Spindler, B.; Graf, K.; Dong, X.; Kim, M.; Chen, X.; Bühlmann, P.; Stein, A. Anal. Chem. 2023, [Accepted]

Ion-Selective Electrodes with Sensing Membranes Covalently Attached to Both the Inert Polymer Substrate and Conductive Carbon Contact, Choi, K. R.;Troudt, B. K., Bühlmann, P. Angewandte Chemie 2023, Full Text 

Spontaneous Mesoporosity-Driven Sequestration of Ionic Liquids from Silicone-Based Reference Electrode Membranes, Dong, X.; Spindler, B.; Kim, M.; Stein, A.; Bühlmann, P. ACS Sensors  2023, 8, 4, 1774–1781 Full Text

Choi, K. R.; Lin, Y.; Mitzel, K.; McGuire, C.; Bühlmann, P. “Ion-selective Electrodes With Sensing Membranes Covalently Attached to Both an Inert Polymer Substrate and Conductive Carbon Contact” U.S. Provisional Patent Application 63/672,289; filed April 13, 2023.   

Chen, X.; Stein, A.; Buhlmann, P.; “Reference Electrodes Including Silicone-Containing Polymer and Ionic Liquid”, U.S. 11,573,194 B2, patent issued February 7, 2023

Comparison of Copper(II) Oxide Nanostructures with Different Morphologies for Nonenzymatic Glucose Sensing, Fan, B.; Spindler, B. D.; Zhao, W.; Chan, H; Wang, Z.; Kim, M.; Chipangura, Y.; Bühlmann, P.; Stein, A. ACS Appl. Nano Mater. 2023, 6, 2, 1475–1486 Full Text

Machine Learning-Based Rapid detection of Volatile Organic Compounds in a Graphene Electronic Nose, Capman, N. S. S.; Zhen, X. V.; Nelson, J. T.; Chaganti, V. R. S. K.; Finc, R. C.; Lyden, M. J.;  Williams, T. L.; Freking, M.; Sherwood, G. J.; Bühlmann, P.; Hogan, C. J.; Koester, S. J. ACS Nano 2022 Full Text

The Effect of Paper on the Detection Limit of Paper-based Potentiometric Chloride Sensors, Herrero, E. J.; Troudt, B. K.; Bühlmann, P.  Anal. Chem. 2022, 94, 43, 14898–14905. Full Text

Comparison of the Kinetics of Aldehyde Sensing by Covalent Bond Formation with Hydrazines and Hydroxylamines, Troudt, B. K.; Vue, J. W., Bühlmann, P.  Tetrahedron 2022,119, 132852. Full text 

Hu, J.; Buhlmann, P.; Stein, A.; Zhen, X. “Electrochemical Sensors with a Chemically Attached Molecular Redox Buffer”, US 11,307, 165 B2, patent issued April 19, 2022 

Hydrogels Doped With Redox Buffers as Transducers for Ion-Selective Electrodes, Rousseau, C. R.; Honig, M. L.; Bühlmann, Anal. Chem. 202294, 1143–50. Full text

Zhen, X.; Buhlmann, P.; Koester, S.; Nelson, J. “Chemical Sensors with Non-Covalent Electrostatic Surface Modification of Graphene”, US Patent 11,293,914 B2; patent issued April 5, 2022 

Ion-Selective Potentiometric Sensors with Silicone Sensing Membranes: A Review, Chen, X. V.; Bühlmann, Current Opinion in Electrochemistry 202232, 100896. Full text

Recent Progress in the Development of Improved Reference Electrodes for Electrochemistry, Troudt, B. K.; Rousseau, C. R.; Dong, X. I. N.; Anderson, E. L.; Bühlmann, P. Anal. Sci. 2022, 38, 71–83. Full text

Solid-Contact pH Sensor with Covalent Attachment of Ionophore and Ionic Sites to a Poly(decyl methacrylate) Matrix, Choi, K.; Chen, X.; Buhlmann, P., Analytical Chemistry 2021, 93, 16899-16905. Full text

Zhen, X.; Buhlmann, P.; Koester, S.; Zhang, Y.; Nelson, J. “Chemical Sensors with Non-Covalent Surface Modification of Graphene”, US Patent 11,079,371 B2; patent issued August 3, 2021.

Potentiometric Sensors with Polymeric Sensing and Reference Membranes Fully Integrated into a Sample-Wicking Polyester Textile, Herrero, E.J., Bühlmann, P., Analysis and Sensing 20211, 188–195. Full text.

Easy-to-Make Capillary-Based Reference Electrodes with Controlled, Pressure-Driven Electrolyte Flow, Anderson, E., Troudt, B., Bühlmann, P., ACS Sensors  2021, 6, 2211–2217. Full text. 

Calibration-Free Potentiometric Sensing With Solid-Contact Ion-Selective Electrodes, Rousseau, C., Bühlmann, P., Trends in Anal. Chem2021, 140, 116277. Full text

More...

News

Eliza defended her thesis on October 13th and will start working in California! Congratulations, Dr. Herrero, on successfully defending your thesis! - October 2023 

Rok defended his thesis on September 8th and will start working in South Korea for Samsung. Congratulations, Dr. Choi on a successful Ph.D.!  - September 2023

Congratulations, Kuzie on earning their Masters's Degree and becoming PhD candidate. Great job! - June 2023

Professor Phil received the 2023 ACS Minnesota Award! Professor Phil was named this year's award recipient for his outstanding work as a researcher, research adviser, and mentor. The award took into account Professor Phil's work that goes beyond the productive program and involves outreach activities, the development of teaching aids, and his work as the director of graduate studies performed for eight years. Professor Blank described Professor Buhlmann as the "definition of quality, excellence, innovation, leadership, and commitment in chemistry!" Congratulations, Phil!

Welcome, Zubaer to the Buhlmann group! March 2023

     Celeste defended her thesis on December 5th and will start working in Cincinnati as her next step. Congratulations, Dr. Rousseau on a successful Ph.D.! Your legacy will live on. - December 2022

     Congratulations to Eliza for winning the outstanding research presentation award for her presentation at the National Diversity in STEM conference in San Juan. Well done, Eliza!! - October 2022

     Congratulations to Emily for winning the Robert L Ferm Outstanding TA Award for excellence in teaching General Chemistry! We are incredibly proud of you!  - September 2022

     Blair defended her thesis on June 29 and will start working in Wisconsin as her next step. Congratulations, Dr. Troudt on a successful PhD! - June 2022

   Ali passed his Oral Prelim Exams, earning their Masters's Degree and becoming PhD candidate. Great job! - June 2022

    We were happy to host the University of California, Berkeley scholar Payton Goodrich for a visit. It was a great pleasure! - June 2022

  Madeline and Emily passed their Oral Prelim Exams, earning their Masters Degrees and becoming PhD candidates. Great job! - January 2022

   We are happy to host our visiting researcher Takumi Goto! Takumi is an M.Sc.student at the Shibaura Institute of Technology in Japan. He will be working with Eliza for 4 months on the project Two Dimensional Electroanalytical Sensor. Welcome, Takumi! - November 2021.  

   The Buhlmann group is so happy to welcome our first year Kuzie on board! Welcome Kuzie! - November 2021

  Eliza's and Phil's recent paper Potentiometric Sensors with Polymeric Sensing and Reference Membranes Fully Integrated into a Sample-Wicking Polyester Textile got cover feature by Analysis & Sensing on their most recent issue. Click here to see how cool that cover feature looks! Great job Eliza and Phil!

  Welcome, Pal Kishonti to the Buhlmann group! Pali is a MSc student in the group of Dr. Lajos Höfler at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary. He will spend the fall 2021 semester at the UMN, taking courses but also working in the Buhlmann lab working on a directed research project. Hope you have a great time with us!

  Congratulations to former group member Dr. Paul Boswell, who is now company owner of Spintronics, a puzzle game where players discover electronics in a tangible way, using the first physical representation of electronic circuits. Check out his video here!

  Congratulations to Eliza for winning the Paul and Gerda Gassman Award at the 3rd-year Graduate Research Symposium!

  Congratulations to Blair and Eliza for winning poster awards for the SEAC poster session at PittCon 2021!

  Welcome, Ali who joined the group and will be co-advised by Professor Marc Hillmyer! (Apr 2021)

  Vilma and Xin passed their Oral Prelim Exams, earning their Masters Degrees and becoming PhD candidates. Good job!

  Former group member Kangping Xiao just published a book entitled Analytical Scientists in Pharmaceutical Product Development: Task Management and Practical Knowledge. Nice job Kangping!

  Welcome, Madeline and Emily, who joined the group in Nov 2020!

  Eliza was featured in Chemistry and Engineering News Weekly as an ACS Scholar Alumna. Well done! Read more here.

  Congratulations to Blair for winning a poster award for the SEAC poster session at PittCon 2020!

  Celeste and Blair attend the first-ever Society of Electroanalytical Chemistry student group meeting at Pitt Con. They presented posters at PittCon2020, and Phil and Blair gave a talk. Good job!

More..

The group and Werfen visitor, Dr. Sohrab Mansouri after Xin's defense!

The group and Werfen visitor, Dr. Sohrab Mansouri, after Xin's defense!

emily

Congratulations to Emily on the award for her poster presented at the Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy!

white elephant

The group playing white elephant 2024!!

Group picture after Elizas Defense

The group after Eliza's defense!!

roks defense

Rok defended his thesis! woot woot!

Group picture 2023

Group picture for Spring 2023!

group at group lunch after celeste defense

The group went to lunch together after Celeste's defense! 

teh buhlmann group at celestes defense

The group with Celeste at her defense. Congratulations, Dr. Rousseau, we wish you all the best in your journey!

Eliza won award in sacnas

Congratulations to Eliza for winning the outstanding presentation at the National Diversity in STEM conference!

Emily won an award for outstanding TA

Congratulations to Emily for winning the Robert L Ferm Outstanding TA Award for excellence in teaching General Chemistry!

The Buhlmann group at Blair's defense. Great job Blair!

The Buhlmann group at Blair's defense. Great job Blair!

Buhlmann group lunch with payton

Thank you for your visit, Dr. Payton Goodrich!

buhlmann group at the baseball game

The Buhlmann Group enjoying the baseball season!

Buhlmann group at the twin cities Fall Festival

Fall festival time for the Buhlmann Group!! So much fun! (October 2021)

buhlmann group at the lake 2021

Day at the lake in Shoreview! (August 2021)

Buhlmann Lab (socially distanced) Picnic! (Spring 2021)

Buhlmann Lab (socially distanced) Picnic! (Spring 2021)  

Successful group meeting on zoom!

Successful group meeting on zoom!

Buhlmann group paint night Feb. 2020

Buhlmann group paint night Feb. 2020

Happy Holidays from the Buhlmann Group!

Happy Holidays from the Buhlmann Group!

Group lake day. August, 2019

Group lake day. August, 2019

Xin's Thesis Defense

Buhlmann Group after Xin's thesis defense, July 2019

Evan Anderson Defense

Buhlmann Group after Evan's thesis defense, June 2019.

Buhlmann Group Axe Throwing

Group axe throwing event. January 2019

The Buhlmann Group defeats the escape room!

The Buhlmann Group conquered the escape room, July 2018. 

group photo 3

Group photo before Xue and Yao's graduation ceremony, May 2018.

group photo 2

The group and Werfen visitor, Dr. Sohrab Mansouri after Xin's defense!