SBIR-STTR Award

This Phase I STTR will demonstrate the feasibility of near-infrared (near-IR) excited surface-enhanced Raman optical activity (SEROA) as a sensitive new probe of biological molecules and trace chiral materials. The research will use nanoshells as fabricated and optimized at Rice University as a newly developed, tunable, highly-uniform, SERS substrates for chiral molecules and bio-molecules. The feasibility of SEROA using a standard ChiralRAMAN ROA spectrometer from BioTools, Inc. with 532 nm excitation will be determined using commercially available SERS substrates. The project continues with the assembly and testing of a near-IR 785-nm laser version of the ChiralRAMAN spectrometer. The new 785-nm ROA instrument will then be tested in three ways. 1) Its performance as a near-IR excited Raman spectrometer will be compared to the Raman performance of the 532-nm ChiralRAMAN spectrometer. 2) Its performance will next be compared to the near-IR Raman spectrometer currently operating at Rice University for which SERS measurements with tuned nanoshells have been carried out. 3) Finally, its performance as the world's first near-IR ROA spectrometer will be tested with standard liquid samples of chiral terpene molecules. From these comparisons a quantitative prognosis for developing a near-IR SEROA spectrometer using chiral tuned-nanoshells will be established

This Phase II STTR project continues the development of two prior successful Phase I STTR projects aimed at developing surface-enhance Raman optical activity (ROA) on near-infrared tuned gold-coated nanoshells for the detection of chiral molecules, biological molecules and higher biological structures and organisms for applications in the areas of biological research, pharmaceutical development and bio-defense technology. The principal Phase I outcomes of this project were 1) the construction of the first ROA spectrometer outside the visible region that has the advantages of low fluorescence and exceptional sensitivity to near-IR tuned gold-coated nanoshells, and 2) the fabrication of both solution and solid films of nanoshells with the chiral molecule S-phenyethylenethiol (S-PET) attached. Phase II research will consist of the optimization of SERS/SEROA sampling to overcome aggregation with time of the nanoshell samples in solution phase and spectral variations associated with changing the location of laser focus on the nanoshell film samples. New chiral nanoshells will be fabricated using a variety of attachment mechanisms for samples of increasing biological significance and complexity. A more compact version of the near-IR SEROA spectrometer will be developed with the added capability of microscope attachment for interrogation of sample variation and uniformity of the SERS/SEROA substrates. Theoretical calculations will support the interpretation of new SEROA spectra.

Keywords:
Raman Optical Activity, Roa, Surface-Enhanced, Sers, Nanoshells, Near-Infrared, Seroa