Trace detection of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) with a SERS based capillary platform prepared by the in situ microwave synthesis of AgNPs.
In the present study, an ultra sensitive and highly reproducible novel SERS based capillary platform was developed and utilized for the trace detection of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) The approach combines the advantages of microwave assisted nanoparticle synthesis, plasmonics and capillary forces. By employing a microwave assisted preparation method, glass capillaries were reproducibly coated with silver nanoparticles in a batch fabrication process that required a processing time of 3 min without needing to use any pre surface modifications or add surfactants. The coated capillaries exhibited an excellent SERS activity with a high reproducibility and enabled the detection of low concentrations of target molecules. At the same time, only a small amount of analyte and a short and simple incubation process was required. The developed platform was applied to the spectroscopic characterization of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and its identification at concentration levels down to 1 nM. Thus, a highly efficient detection system for practical applications, e.g. in drug monitoring/detection, is introduced, which can be fabricated at low cost by using microwave assisted batch synthesis techniques.
Analytica chimica acta