At high concentrations, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) presents hazards as an explosive. At lower levels, concerns remain due to its impacts on human health. Typical SERS-based approaches to trace TNT detection rely on formation of charge-transfer 'Meisenheimer complexes' which enhances the intensity of already-present Raman bands through resonance Raman effects. Unfortunately, a wide variety of factors can increase SERS intensities through aggregation effects independent of the presence or absence of TNT. This is particularly true when dealing with real-world samples. Our laboratory has developed TNT-sensitive, SERS-active nanoparticles incorporating a built-in internal standard. This internal standard allows us to correct for aggregation-induced changes in SERS intensities, thereby circumventing one of the primary stumbling blocks encountered by typical SERS-based TNT assays. We have additionally examined and optimalized the reaction chemistry to enable rapid detection of TNT at ppb concentrations, with no visible interference from other nitro-toluenes.

Self-normalizing SERS-based part-per-billion detection of (2,4,6)-trinitrotoluene

245th National Meeting (2013)

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