| AVS 61st International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Manufacturing Science and Technology | Thursday Sessions |
| Session MS+PS+TF-ThM |
| Session: | Processes for Mesoscale Structure on Paper and Textiles |
| Presenter: | Ian White, University of Maryland |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
SERS-based chemical and biological analytics on inkjet-fabricated paper devices
Abstract. 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. The high sensitivity of SERS detection results from the localized plasmons generated at the surface of noble metal nanostructures upon excitation by resonant electric fields at optical frequencies. 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. Recently, we demonstrated the fabrication of SERS substrates by inkjet printing silver and gold nanostructures onto paper and other similar membranes. Using a low-cost commercial inkjet printer, we deposited silver nanoparticles with micro-scale precision to form SERS-active biosensors. Using these devices, we have been able to achieve 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.
In this presentation we will review the capabilities of inkjet-fabricated paper SERS devices as chemical and biological sensors. We will introduce the fabrication of paper-based fluidic SERS devices using inkjet printing, and we will review results for chemical detection with paper SERS devices, including the use of the paper substrates as swabs and dipsticks for pesticide detection, as well as chromatography SERS on PVDF membranes for the detection of melamine in infant formula. We will then present the results of the fluidic paper SERS devices for biomolecule detection, including paper SERS dipsticks that leverage the chromatographic separation properties of paper to distinguish the outcome of multiplexed TaqMan PCR from a single reaction. In particular, we have utilized this technique to detect the presence of two drug resistance biomarkers for methicillin-resistant S. Aureus (MRSA).