OnSpec: NECTEC SERS Chips

dtmd-saw — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 08:30:12 +0000

Innovation

OnSpec: NECTEC SERS Chips

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

OnSpec: NECTEC SERS Chips in Forensic Detection

Mati Horprathum was awarded in the 2016 ICO/ICTP Gallieno Denardo Award

dtmd-saw — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 08:03:48 +0000

Scientific Excellence

Mati Horprathum was awarded in the 2016 ICO/ICTP Gallieno Denardo Award

Mati Horprathum, NECTEC Researcher, was awarded in the ICO/ICTP Gallieno Denardo Award for “his valuable contributions in the development of optical thin-film technology for innovative surface functionality as well as for his commitment in the diffusion of optical thin-film research in Thailand”.

The annual ICO-ICTP Gallieno Denardo Award ceremony was held at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) during the Winter College on Optics: Optical Frequency Combs – from multispecies gas sensing to high precision interrogation of atomic and molecular targets held 15-26 February. The ICO/ICTP Gallieno Denardo prize is awarded to young scientists from developing countries, as defined by the United Nations, who conduct their research in these countries. The award is given to scientists under 40 years of age (on December 31 of the year for which the award is given) who are active in optics research and who have contributed to the promotion of optics research activities in their own, or another, developing country. The ICO/ICTP Award Committee members, Mourad Zghal (Chair and ICO VP), Ahmadou Wagué (ICO VP), Joseph Niemela (ICO VP), Anna Consortini (ICO former President) and Mitcho Danailov awarded the 2016 ICO/ICTP Gallieno Denardo Award to two young scientists: Mati Horprathum, Thailand and Jehan Akbar, Pakistan.

Mati Horprathum, started his career with National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC), Thailand. From 2006 to 2011, he worked with Photonic Technology Laboratory and was responsible for research in optical thin-film coatings, characterizations, vacuum coating systems based on physical vapour deposition, and co-ordination with other research groups in Thailand. In 2011, he received a postdoctoral fellowship supported by Japan National Project “the Funding Program for Next Generation Word-Leading Researcher”. During the postdoctoral position, he worked at Laboratory of Atomic Scale Materials Processing, Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (ISIR), Osaka University, Japan in the “Green Innovation Science” project, and was responsible for developments of growth and alignment of uniform oxide nanowires and developments of nanostructures by top-down and bottom-up techniques. Since 2013, he has been a researcher at Optical Thin-Film Laboratory, NECTEC, Thailand. His current works involve thin-film and nanostructure areas, i.e., glancing-angle deposition, nano-microelectronics mechanic devices, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), fabrications and characterizations of nanostructures, optoelectronic devices, electrochromic thin films, spectroscopic ellipsometry, vacuum designs, and thin-film characterizations. Through his career, his major interests are to utilize the optical thin-film and nanostructure technologies towards local industrial manufactures, as well as medical and environmental applications in Thailand. He also enjoys giving lectures in the optical thin-film and nanotechnology to undergraduate and graduate students, and engineers working on optical industries in Thailand. He has authored and co-author more than 50 refereed journals, 100 proceedings, and has been a regular reviewer for 11 journals. He also holds two Thai patents, and nine Thai patent applications. In addition, he has also organized seven international conferences and events in surface sciences, thin-film coatings, and sensors.

Ref:: https://www.ictp.it/about-ictp/prizes-awards/icoictp-gallieno-denardo-award/winners/icoictp-prize-2016.aspx; https://e-ico.org/node/347; https://spie.org/about-spie/press-room/press-releases/winter-college-on-optics-hones-in-on-optical-frequency-comb-technology-9-mar-16

optical – NECTEC : National Electronics and Computer Technology Center

OnSpec: NECTEC SERS Chips

Innovation