Rapid Quantification of 4,4'-Methylenedianiline by Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Methylenedianiline (MDA) is a common industrial chemical with health and product safety concerns. Common analysis methods require many steps including extraction and derivatization ending in GC/MS or HPLC analysis, which minimize its use as an on-line or at-line technique. The procedure can take hours, prohibiting its use as a real-time decision-making tool as well as using valuable resources and laboratory space. The new method presented here has been validated for MDA quantification in industrial grease samples over the concentration range of 1-40 ppm 4,4'-MDA. We present comparative results to the currently accepted method with excellent fidelity. This analytical method using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy reduces sample preparation and analysis time by more than an hour while preserving method accuracy, specificity, and dynamic range.