Fabrication of Ag Microchips onto Cellulose Paper and its Application as Sensors in the Detection and Identification of Drugs by Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS)

• Grant number: 12/19485-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: February 01, 2013
• End date: January 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Italo Odone Mazali
• Grantee: Elias de Barros Santos
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In this project, we intend to fabricate silver microchips using cellulose paper as matrix, and its application as Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) substrate in sensing of drugs. The substrate consists of an array with 25 aggregates, each one with micrometric dimensions, of silver nanoparticles deposited as a pattern onto cellulose paper. Ag nanoparticles will be deposited in an organized way using a inkjet printer. Prior to the printing of Ag nanoparticles on cellulose paper, the substrate will be made hydrophobic using hexadecenyl succinic anhydride (ASA), a common paper sizing agent. The fabrication of the microchip consists, firstly, in the Ag nanoparticles synthesis in colloidal solution, dispersion of Ag nanoparticles in glycerol, resulting in the Ag ink. This mixture will be injected into refillable printing cartridges, then will be chosen a character pattern using a software of a computer connected to the printer. After that, printing will be made on the hydrophobic cellulose paper. Different character patterns will be printed ( , +, and *), and for each one character will be made different numbers of printing cycles (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5), resulting in chips with different thicknesses. The microchips will be characterized by Ultraviolet-Visible spectroscopy, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Raman spectroscopy measurements will be made to evaluate the microchips activity in SERS, using the dye rhodamine 6G as probe molecule. From the data analysis will be evaluate the Ag aggregates thickness effect and the character shape in the Raman signal. To decide which is the best SERS substrate will be evaluated the higher Raman signal enhanced, the greater reproducibility of data, and the sensitivity of detection. The best substrate will be used as a sensor, in SERS experiments, in the detection and identification of drugs, such as N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine, Diazepam, and Paracetamol in individual solutions as well as in mixtures of compounds with different proportions and combinations.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ELIAS B. SANTOS; STACY FERLIN; ANNE H. FOSTIER; ITALO O. MAZALI. Using Gold Nanoparticles as Passive Sampler for Indoor Monitoring of Gaseous Elemental Mercury. Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society, v. 28, n. 7, p. 1274-1280, 2017-07-00. (12/19485-1)