OnSpec – NECTEC : National Electronics and Computer Technology Center https://www.nectec.or.th/en ศูนย์เทคโนโลยีอิเล็กทรอนิกส์และคอมพิวเตอร์แห่งชาติ Thu, 26 Aug 2021 02:50:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://www.nectec.or.th/en/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/favicon.ico  OnSpec – NECTEC : National Electronics and Computer Technology Center https://www.nectec.or.th/en 32 32 Raman Insider, Modern Raman Imaging, and Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Seminar/ Workshop https://www.nectec.or.th/en/about/news/pr-ramaninsider2017.html Fri, 30 Jul 2021 10:16:20 +0000 https://www.nectec.or.th/en/?p=19245
Raman Insider, Modern Raman Imaging, and Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Seminar/ Workshop in Thailand 2017
Date: 5 – 6 October 2017
Place: Thailand Science Park Convention Center, Pathum Thani, Thailand

Programme

5 October 2017

8.45am : Registration
9.15am : Opening of the Workshop /Welcome Speech
9.30am : Keynote speaker, Dr. Ken Williams, Renishaw
« 25 years of high performance Raman spectroscopy »
10.15am : Break & Refreshment
10.30am : Dr. Noppadon Nuntawong, NECTEC
« OnSpec: High performance SERS chip for trace analysis »
11.15pm : Keynote speaker, Dr. Ken Williams, Renishaw
« The Application of Raman Microscopy in Modern 2-D and 3-D Materials Analysis »
12.00 pm : Lunch
Parallel Workshop
1.30 pm : Workshop 1
OnSpec SERS Chips Demonstration by OTL/NECTEC team
1.30 pm : Workshop 2
Raman Spectroscopy System Demonstration by Dr. Willis Sin, Renishaw
3:15pm : Break & Refreshment
3:30pm : Workshop 1 & 2 (Cont.)
5.00pm : End of the Day 1

6 October 2017

8.45am : Registration
9.00am : Dr. Rawiwan Laocharoensuk, NANOTEC
« Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy in life and medical sciences: a structural design perspective»
9:45am : Dr. Pitak Eiamchai, NECTEC
« Fabrication technology for high performance SERS substrate»
10.45am : Dr. Raju Botta, NECTEC
« PVD-based SERS substrate and its applications in trace chemical and biomedical diagnoses »
11.30am : Dr. Suwussa Bamrungsap, NANOTEC
« SERS nanotags for bioanalitical and medical diagnostics»
1:15pm : Free technical and business discussions
    1. Technical discussion on OnSpec SERS Chips by OTL/NECTEC team
    2. Business discussion on OnSpec SERS Chips by BTT/NECTEC
    3. Technical discussion on Raman spectroscopy by Dr. Willis Sin, Renishaw
4.30pm : End of the Workshop

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Thank you for your registration. After the review process, we will send a confirmation of your registration to the email address you provided. For more information, please contact otl[at]nectec.or.th .

August-08-2017 09:54

]]> OnSpec Series : NECTEC SERs Chips https://www.nectec.or.th/en/innovation/product-innovation/onspec-series.html Wed, 28 Jul 2021 09:08:32 +0000 https://www.nectec.or.th/en/?p=18042

Innovation

OnSpec Series : NECTEC SERs Chips

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Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS), a promising tool with great potentials, can be readily used for rapid detection in trace chemical analyses, unlike other standard techniques.

NECTEC offers a product solution of SERS substrates, the “OnSpec” series, that can be utilized in a wide range of applications.

The OnSpec series can now be used for trace detections in food ingredients (pesticides, odors), forensic investigations (narcotic drugs, explosive substances, pen inks), and medical studies (biomolecules).

ONSPEC SOLUTION

Our OnSpec Product Solution includes:

ONSPEC-Prime
an award-winning SERS substrates with top-of-the-line performance. Based on carefully crafted nanostructures, our OnSpec-Prime delivers highly enhanced Raman signals, up to 100 times when compared to those from other commercially available products.
ONSPEC-X Plus
enjoys the benefits of reusability from photocatalytic nanostructured templates. OnSpec-X+ delivers up to 10 reusable cycles with a simple UV exposure.
ONSPEC-Lite
a cost-effective SERS substrates based on unique nanostructures in micro- to nano-meter scales. OnSpec-Lite is nano-engineered towards compatibility with most portable or handheld Raman spectrometers for simple and rapid Raman screening process.

SPECIFICATIONS

All models of the OnSpec SERS series are film-based at 4×4 mm2 in dimension. They come in metalized package (21.2 g) for prolonged storage and ease of handling.

Developed by

Opto-Electrochemical Sensing Research Team (OEC)
Spectroscopic and Sensing Devices Research Group (SSDRG)
National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC)
https://www.facebook.com/OTL.NECTEC/

Contact

Strategic Planning and Partner Development Division (SPD)
email: business[at]nectec.or.th
 

April-02-2019 17:32

]]> OnSpec: NECTEC SERS Chips in Forensic Detection https://www.nectec.or.th/en/innovation/product-innovation/onspec-forensic.html Wed, 28 Jul 2021 08:53:29 +0000 https://www.nectec.or.th/en/?p=18022

Innovation

OnSpec: NECTEC SERS Chips in Forensic Detection

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Raman scattering is a phenomenon that describes a shift in frequencies between a light that is illuminating a material and a fraction of the scattered light from that material. The frequency shift is due to molecular vibrations of the material. Different materials exhibit different fashions of molecular vibrations and therefore produce Raman scattered light at distinctive frequencies. In other words, the amount of frequency shift is unique to each material. Therefore, Raman scattering allows us to identify and differentiate the materials under study from one another.

The effect of Raman scattering is typically weak, plus the presence of fluorescence can make Raman signals (spectra) difficult to detect. The problem has been overcome by the technique of Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS), which is the extension of the standard Raman Spectroscopy. The main difference between SERS and Raman Spectroscopy is the incorporation of metallic nanostructures or colloids, which results in the amplification of electromagnetic fields generated by the excitation of localized surface plasmons when the sample is illuminated by a light source. Hence, SERS allows for signal enhancements up to 10 orders of magnitude. [1] This improvement enables further spectra collections from samples that cannot be detected using the standard Raman Spectroscopy.

Figure 1 : Raman scattering and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)

Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is a promising tool with several great potentials that can aid procedures in the field of forensic investigation. The advantage of SERS is that it requires minimal amount of sample which is important since in many cases in criminal investigations, there is not always a large quantity of samples available. The process is also rapid and repeatable. Several applications of SERS in forensic science have already been studied. Firstly, questioned document examinations can benefit from the ability to identify various type of pen inks and printer inks (toners) on papers. [1] Its detection capability can extend to include paints on canvas or other fiber materials. [2] Another branch of application is the detection of explosives. [1,3] Moreover, illicit drugs and controlled substances can also be identified. [1] Many studies have also tried to use SERS to identify biological materials including DNA, blood, and body fluids such as saliva, urine and serum. [1,2]

The advancement of SERS depends on the fabrications of metallic-incorporated structures that will handle compounds of material under study. At NECTEC, researchers have successfully fabricated SERS chips, called OnSpec, which are silver nanorods on a silicon substrate, as shown in Figure 2. Silver or gold decorated on nano-patterned templates, is another technique that researchers at NECTEC have begun work on. The researchers have used their SERS chips to detect pen inks, explosive substances, illicit drug, pesticides and biomolecules including Zika virus, Dengue virus and tuberculosis. In the first installment of this article series, the detection of pen inks by various SERS techniques will be discussed in the following sections.

Figure 2 : (a) OnSpec in use. (b) Metallic nanostructures of the NECTEC SERS chip.

Pen ink detection by SERS

The study of pen ink detection by SERS at NECTEC began with collections of ink data by direct measurements of Raman Spectroscopy, as well as, by using the SERS chips to measure extractions of the inks on paper. Ink from 150 different pens consisting of water, oil or gel base, in red, black and blue color, was collected on paper. Three types of Raman spectrometers (Figure 3) were used, including the handheld Raman spectrometer, the portable Raman spectrometer, and the lab-grade Raman mapping systems (one at NECTEC, and the other at Central Institute of Forensic Science, Thailand). The initial results showed that the direct Raman measurement from any of these systems suffered from fluorescence interference and low signal to noise ratio. However, good results were obtained from our SERS chips, OnSpec, where fluorescence was suppressed and the Raman signal was highly enhanced, as exhibited in Figure 4.

Figure 3 : Raman spectrometers in use for the studies at NECTEC: (a) handheld Raman system, (b) portable Raman system, and (c) high-performance Raman microscope.

Figure 4 : Example of Raman spectra as measured from black pen ink by conventional Raman spectroscopy and SERS.

Furthermore, it was found that the measured spectra by OnSpec changed with time. This is a challenge as well as a benefit in that samples should be measured right away to prevent uncertainty from the Raman measurements. However, this time-dependent attribute will allow us to identify the age of the ink under investigation, which is beneficial and can help in the case of document forgery.

The current measurement technique using SERS chip still posts two major issues. The first one is that the current ink extraction method damages the document. This is because a solvent needs to be dropped onto the actual questioned document in order to dissolve and extract the ink and transfer it to a SERS chip for measurements. Ideally, there should be no damage on the questioned documents since most likely they are the only form of evidence available. So, eliminating the damages brought upon the questioned documents is the issue that needs fixing fast. The second issue is that SERS for questioned documents is a technique that needs developments in its discrimination power to be legally approved. Other approved methods, which currently are the most accurate, include thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and using experts in handwriting analysis (graphology) to detect forgery or counterfeit. So accuracy plus easy handling and non-damaging procedures, are aspects that SERS need to acquire in order to become the mainstream technique of ink detection in forensic study.

With those concerns in mind, NECTEC researchers have begun work on a new technique using certain type of polymer as the substrates for SERS chips. The preliminary results have shown promising outcomes in eliminating the damage upon the questioned documents. Nevertheless, more work is needed to fine-tune this technique, improve its discrimination power, and increase its library of collected ink data.

References:

[1] C. Muehlethaler, M. Leona, and J. R. Lombardi, Anal. Chem. 2016, DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5b04131.
[2] B. Sharma, R. Frontiera, A. Henry, E. Ringe, and R. Van Duyne, SERS: Materials, applications and the future, Materials Today, Vol. 15, No. 1-2, Jan-Feb 2012.
[3] N. Nuntawong, P. Eiamchai, S. Limwichean, B. Wong-ek, M. Horprathum, V. Patthanasettakul, A. Leelapojanaporn, S. Nakngoenthong, P. Chundaudom, Forensic Sci. Int. 2013, 233, 174-178.

Developers

Dr. Noppadon Nuntawong, Dr. Nutthamon Suwanmonkha, Dr. Pitak Eiamchai
Optical Thin-Film Laboratory (OTL)
National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC), Thailand
https://www.facebook.com/OTL.NECTEC/

Contact Information

For those interested in ‘OnSpec’ producing and licensing, please contact

Business Development and Technology Transfer (BTT)
National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC)
Tel: +662 564 6900 ext 2346, 2351-2354, 2357, 2382, 2383, 2399
email: business[at]nectec.or.th
 

February-09-2017 11:47

]]> OnSpec: NECTEC SERS Chips https://www.nectec.or.th/en/innovation/product-innovation/nectecserschips.html Wed, 28 Jul 2021 08:30:12 +0000 https://www.nectec.or.th/en/?p=17981

Innovation

OnSpec: NECTEC SERS Chips

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Raman spectroscopy is a spectroscopic technique used to identify of biochemical substances or biomolecules. Raman spectroscopy relies on inelastic scattering, also known as Raman scattering, when a laser interacts with the molecules. The changes, or the shifts, of the energy of the laser photons can give information about the interacted molecules. This technique has been recently used to detect chemical or biomolecular substances, i.e., narcotic drugs, trace amount of materials, and emerging diseases.

However, most materials give out small Raman signals. In 1974, Fleischmann, et al. successfully developed a technique to amplify the Raman signals up to 6 times with highly roughened silver surfaces. The laser photons that interact with the free electrons in the metals will cause the resonance in these electron cloud. Such phenomenon, called the surface plasmon resonance, helps the energy transfers among the molecules within the proximity. This helps release the energy with higher Raman signals.

Generally, the Raman scattering can be observed when the conditions meet these 2 mechanisms. The first mechanism is the electromagnetic enhancement, which is caused by the stimulation of the surface plasmon resonance within the metal surfaces. The second is the chemical absorption of the molecules, and highly depends on the wavelength of the laser photons, the optical properties of the metals, and the surface structures of the substrates.

Until recently, there have been several processes to develop the substrates that help amplify the Raman signals and their efficiency. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates have been a subject of interests among scientists. Theoretically, the SERS substrates can be developed from gold, silver, copper, or other noble metals, and have been widely used in the detections of the biomolecules and chemical molecules.

The NECTEC SERS Chips (Fig. 1) has been developed with our advanced thin-film depositions with the sputtering system by Optical Thin-Film Technology Laboratory (OTL), National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC). We have successfully fabricated thin-film-based nanostructures of silver metals (Fig. 2) with unique properties to highly enhance the Raman signals. Our SERS Chips, which come in full packages at a cost-effective price, can yield up to 100 times the Raman signals when compared with those from the commercially available products. The NECTEC SERS Chips can be readily used for trace detections of the trace amount of many substances, which are no longer detectable from conventional Raman spectroscopic technique.

To use the NECTEC SERS Chips, operators can simply swab or wipe an area suspected to be exposed to chemical substances of interest, even though imperceptible to the naked eyes. The swabbed sampling can be quickly dissolved in a solvent. A small volume (2-3 microliters are sufficient) is then dropped on the surface of the NECTEC SERS chips. And now the operators can go right to the characterizations or analyses with any Raman spectroscopes (Fig. 3). The NECTEC SERS Chips are fully compatible with all research-grade, portable, or even handheld Raman spectrometers available in the markets.

Currently, the NECTEC SERS Chips are successfully utilized in a wide ranges of applications, for examples, trace detections in agricultural products (pesticides), forensic investigations (narcotic drugs, explosive substances, pen inks), and medical studies (biomolecules). OTL has published academic journals and filed several patent applications with complete protections of our inventions.

Team:

Optical Thin-Film Technology Laboratory (OTL)
National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC)
e-mail: otl[at]nectec.or.th
https://www.facebook.com/OTL.NECTEC/

More information:

Business Development and Technology Transfer (BTT)
National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC).
Tel: +662 564 6900 ext2346, 2351-2354, 2357, 2382, 2383, 2399
e-mail: business[at]nectec.or.th 

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