An integrated portable Raman sensor with nanofabricated gold bowtie array substrates for energetics detection

• Published in: Analyst (London) Vol. 136; no. 8; pp. 1697 - 1702
• Main Authors: HATAB, Nahla A, ROULEAU, C. M, RETTERER, Scott T, ERES, Gyula, HATZINGER, Paul B, BAOHUA GU
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Royal Society of Chemistry 21.04.2011
• Subjects: Analytical chemistry; Applied sciences; Arrays; Chemistry; DETECTION; Exact sciences and technology; Fresh Water - chemistry; General, instrumentation; Global environmental pollution; GOLD; Gold - chemistry; INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanostructure; NANOSTRUCTURES; Nanostructures - chemistry; OPTICAL FIBERS; PERCHLORATES; Perchlorates - analysis; Pollution; Portability; PORTABLE EQUIPMENT; PROBES; QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; RAMAN SPECTRA; RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY; REMOTE SENSING; SCATTERING; SENSORS; SPECTROMETERS; Spectrometric and optical methods; Spectrum Analysis, Raman - instrumentation; Spectrum Analysis, Raman - methods; SUBSTRATES; TNT; Trinitrotoluene - analysis; Gold; Standard addition method; Sample; In situ; Trinitrotoluene; Concentration; Chemical sensor; Perchlorates; Probe; Array; Substrate; Screening; Surface Enhanced Raman Spectrometry; Environment; Portable equipment; Explosives; Raman spectrometry; Technique; TNT; Detection; Application; Quantitative analysis; Ground water; Optical fiber
• ISSN: 0003-2654; 1364-5528
• DOI: 10.1039/c0an00982b

An integrated field-portable surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing system has been developed and evaluated for quantitative analysis of energetics such as perchlorate (ClO(4)(-)) and trinitrotoluene (TNT) at environmentally relevant concentrations and conditions. The detection system consists of a portable Raman spectrometer equipped with an optical fiber probe that is coupled with novel elevated gold bowtie nanostructural arrays as a sensitive and reproducible SERS substrate. Using the standard addition technique, we show that ClO(4)(-) and TNT can be quantified at concentrations as low as 0.66 mg L(-1) (or ~6.6 µM) and 0.20 mg L(-1) (~0.9 µM), respectively, in groundwater samples collected from selected military sites. This research represents the first step toward the development of a field SERS sensor which may permit rapid, in situ screening and analysis for various applications including national security, chemical, biological and environmental detection.