Abstract
This article provides a proof of concept on how Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) can be combined with microfluidics towards the development of an in situ chemical detection method. A microfluidic device prototype was designed, fabricated, and characterized to demonstrate the feasibility of microfluidics in achieving analyte transport from the sample introduction site to the detection site. Subsequently, the microfluidic setup was used for monitoring the adsorption kinetics of the molecule rhodamine 6G (R6G) onto a SERS-active substrate; an application, for which only scare information is available in the literature. Moreover, this work demonstrates how the actual concentration of adsorbed R6G (moles m-2) onto the SERS substrate can be quantified in real time. SERS-active substrates, such the ones used in this study, can be integrated in a microfluidic device for achieving reproducible monitoring of the adsorption kinetics of a molecule in a liquid sample, or for detecting and reporting the concentration of an unknown target molecule during a diagnostic assay.
