Rapid and on-site analysis of illegal drugs on the nano-microscale using a deep ultraviolet-visible reflected optical fiber sensor.
A deep ultraviolet-visible (DUV-Vis) reflected optical fiber sensor was developed for use in a simple spectrophotometric detection system to detect the absorption of various illegal drugs at wavelengths between 180 and 800 nm. Quantitative analyses performed using the sensor revealed a high specificity and sensitivity for drug detection at a wavelength of approximately 200 nm. Using a double-absorption optical path length, extremely small sample volumes were used (32 to 160 nL), which allowed the use of minimal amounts of samples. A portable spectrophotometric system was established based on our optical fiber sensor for the on-site determination and quantitative analysis of common illegal drugs, such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), ketamine hydrochloride, cocaine hydrochloride, diazepam, phenobarbital, and barbital. By analyzing the absorbance spectra, six different drugs were quantified at concentrations that ranged from 0.1 to 1000 μg mL(-1) (16 pg-0.16 μg). A novel Matching Algorithm of Spectra Space (MASS) was used to accurately distinguish between each drug in a mixture. As an important supplement to traditional methods, such as mass spectrometry or chromatography, our optical fiber sensor offers rapid and low-cost on-site detection using trace amounts of sample. This rapid and accurate analytical method has wide-ranging applications in forensic science, law enforcement, and medicine.
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Beijing 100084, China.
Qiang
Q
Li
Tian
T
Qiu
Hongxia
H
Hao
Hong
H
Zhou
Tongzhou
T
Wang
Ye
Y
Zhang
Xin
X
Li
Guoliang
G
Huang
Jing
J
Cheng
D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008027:Light; D036103:Nanotechnology; D055100:Optical Fibers; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013997:Time Factors; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays