Miniaturized array gas membrane separation strategy for rapid analysis of complex samples by surface-enhanced Raman...

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Spectroscopy
• Separation Science

Background:

• Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) faces challenges in complex samples due to matrix interference, limiting detection speed and throughput.
• Developing efficient sample preparation methods is crucial for reliable SERS analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and validate a miniaturized array gas membrane separation (AGMS) device integrated with SERS.
• To eliminate matrix effects and enhance SERS signal reproducibility for trace analyte detection.

Main Methods:

• Computational fluid dynamics simulations were used to optimize the AGMS tube design based on air permeability.
• The optimized AGMS device was coupled with SERS for analyzing analytes in real biological and food samples.
• Analyte quantification was performed using SERS, with results validated against standard methods.

Main Results:

• The optimized 10 mm AGMS tube achieved 98.3% recovery for acetaldehyde.
• SERS signals significantly improved after AGMS, enabling accurate quantification of analytes (82.0-123.3% recovery) with low error (-4.8% to 5.3%).
• The AGMS-SERS method offered rapid analysis (<20 min per sample, 96 samples in 45 min).

Conclusions:

• The miniaturized AGMS-SERS system effectively overcomes matrix interference in complex samples.
• This integrated approach enhances SERS sensitivity, reproducibility, and analysis speed.
• Automated AGMS-SERS holds potential for expanding and accelerating trace analyte detection in various fields.