Au Ordered Array Substrate for Rapid Detection and Precise Identification of Etomidate in E-Liquid Through...

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Forensic Science

Background:

• Etomidate (ET), a medical anesthetic, is increasingly abused in e-liquids as a new psychoactive substance (NPS).
• Illicit use of ET in e-liquids poses significant public health and social challenges.
• Rapid and accurate detection methods are crucial for identifying ET and its metabolites in complex matrices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer large-area gold (Au) micro- and nano-structured ordered arrays as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates.
• To develop a SERS-based method for the fast detection and precise identification of etomidate (ET) and its metabolites.
• To assess the substrate's performance in terms of sensitivity, reproducibility, and quantitative capabilities for e-liquid analysis.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of large-area Au micro- and nano-structured ordered arrays.
• Characterization of the SERS substrates for electromagnetic enhancement hotspots and structural uniformity.
• Application of SERS for the detection of ET and its metabolites in e-liquid samples.
• Evaluation of spectral signal reproducibility and quantitative accuracy.

Main Results:

• The engineered Au nanostructure arrays exhibited abundant electromagnetic enhancement hotspots and structural uniformity.
• The SERS substrates demonstrated ultra-sensitivity, high spectral signal reproducibility, and precise quantitative capabilities.
• The method effectively mitigated matrix interference from e-liquids, enabling rapid detection of trace ET levels.

Conclusions:

• The developed SERS rapid detection technology provides a sensitive and reliable method for identifying etomidate and its metabolites.
• This technology can serve as a preliminary screening tool for gold-standard spectroscopic analysis.
• The SERS approach facilitates on-site rapid screening of suspicious samples, aiding in efficient detection and verification.