Concerns about pharmaceutical waste and contaminants are on the rise globally, especially in relation to the safety of drinking water and food. A recent study conducted by researchers at Bar-Ilan University’s Department of Chemistry and Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials has led to the creation of an extremely sensitive plasmonic-based detector designed specifically to detect harmful piperidine residue in water.
Piperidine, a powerful molecule used in the pharmaceutical and food additive industries, poses significant health risks to humans and animals due to its toxic nature. Detecting even the smallest amounts of piperidine is crucial for ensuring the safety of drinking water and food. The plasmonic substrate developed at Bar-Ilan University, which consists of triangular cavities milled in a silver thin film and protected by a 5-nanometer layer of silicon dioxide, offers unparalleled sensitivity to piperidine, allowing for the detection of low concentrations in water.
Mohamed Hamode, a Ph.D. student at Bar-Ilan’s Department of Chemistry, collaborated with Dr. Elad Segal to develop the dime-sized device using a focused ion microscope to drill nanometer-sized holes on a metal surface. By programming the beam with a custom-built computer program, Hamode creates holes of various shapes.
These holes, smaller than the wavelength of visible light, enhance the electrical field on the surface, leading to concentrated light in very small areas. This amplification enables optical phenomena to be significantly increased, allowing for the identification of a low concentration of molecules that were previously undetectable with optical probes.
Due to its confined and enhanced electromagnetic field, the plasmonic substrate offers an efficient alternative to other substrates currently used in Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS), opening avenues for the use of cost-effective and portable Raman devices that enable quicker and more affordable analysis.
2024-03-22 00:00:03
Post from phys.org