As a bio/chemical sensing technique, surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) offers sensitivity comparable to that of fluorescence detection while providing highly specific information about the analyte. Although single molecule identification with SERS was demonstrated over a decade ago, today a need exists to develop practical solutions for point-of-sample and point-of-care SERS systems. We demonstrated the fabrication of SERS substrates by inkjet printing silver and gold nanostructures onto paper and other similar membranes, achieving detection limits comparable to conventional nanofabricated substrates. Furthermore, we have leveraged the fluidic properties of paper to enhance the performance of the SERS devices while also enabling unprecedented ease of use, which is critical for extending chemical and biological analytics from central labs out into the field.Â
Funding: NSF, Maryland Industrial Partnerships, Ocean Optics, NIH NIDA (led by SKM Instruments)
Peer-reviewed publications:
Stephen M. Restaino and Ian M. White, A critical review of flexible and porous SERS sensors for analytical chemistry at the point-of-sample, Analytica Chimica Acta, in press, 2019, DOI:10.1016/j.aca.2018.11.057.
Adam G. Berger, Stephen M. Restaino, and Ian M. White, Vertical-flow paper SERS system for therapeutic drug monitoring of flucytosine in serum, Analytica Chimica Acta, 949C, 59-66, 2017. DOI:10.1016/j.aca.2016.10.035
Eric P. Hoppmann, Wei W. Yu, and Ian M. White, Multiplex detection of DNA targets using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and paper surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) chromatography, Applied Spectroscopy, 68, 909-915, 2014. DOI:10.1366/14-07451.
Eric P. Hoppmann, Wei W. Yu, and Ian M. White, Inkjet-printed fluidic paper devices for chemical and biological analytics using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, 20, 7300510, 2014. DOI:10.1109/JSTQE.2013.2286076.
Eric P. Hoppmann, Wei W. Yu, and Ian M. White, Highly sensitive and flexible inkjet printed SERS sensors on paper, Methods, 63, 219-224, 2013. DOI:10.1016/j.ymeth.2013.07.010.
Wei W. Yu and Ian M. White, Chromatographic separation and detection of target analytes from complex samples using inkjet printed SERS substrates, Analyst, 138, 3679-3686 2013. DOI:10.1039/C3AN00673E.
Wei W. Yu and Ian M. White, Inkjet-Printed Paper-Based SERS Dipsticks and Swabs for Trace Chemical Detection, Analyst, 138, 1020-1025, 2013. DOI:10.1039/C2AN36116G.
Wei W. Yu and Ian M. White, A simple filter-based approach to surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy for trace chemical detection, Analyst, 137, 168-173, 2012. DOI:10.1039/C2AN15947C.
Wei W. Yu and Ian M. White, Inkjet Printed Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Array on Cellulose Paper, Analytical Chemistry 82, 9626-9630, 2010. DOI:10.1021/ac102475k.