SERS of meso droplets supported on superhydrophobic wires allows exquisitely sensitive detection of dipicolinic acid, an anthrax biomarker, considerably below the infective dose.
Surface enhanced Raman measurements of <1 mL analyte/colloid meso droplets on superhydrophobic wires with hydrophilic tips allowed dipicolinic acid, a spore biomarker for Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) to be detected at 10( 6) mol dm( 3) This is equivalent to 18 spores, significantly below the infective dose of 10(4) spores and 2 orders of magnitude better than previous measurements.
Chemical communications