Developing a Fiber-Optrode SERS Sensor for In-situ Monitoring of Estradiol in City Water

Abstract

Record ID: 208

Award(s): Excellence in Research Communication

Program Affiliation: Capstone

Presentation Type: Poster

Abstract: The presence of steroid estrogens in water has raised concerns due to their harmful effects on human and animal health. Among these compounds, Estradiol is highly disruptive and harmful to the endocrine system. Current analytical practices are constrained to laboratory settings and there is a need for the development of field-deployable detection techniques for continuous monitoring. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a promising technique for on-site detection without the need for sample transportation or laboratory analysis. Herein, we propose a fiber optrode SERS sensor capable of detecting small molecule targets for this application. A fiber optrode is an optical sensor integrated with an optical fiber so that the light can be transmitted through the fiber and interact with the sensor component. This sensor can detect the target molecule by immersing the optical fiber directly in liquid samples under analysis. The immersed end of the optical fiber is coated with well-dispersed gold nanostars, to create a sensing surface that amplifies laser radiation and SERS signals from molecules. We utilize a reagentless sensing mechanism based on duplex aptamer, enabling the detection of small-molecule contaminants. Our previous work established a design protocol for duplex aptamers to detect small molecules. We translate this protocol to develop fiber optrode sensors for the direct detection of estradiol, an important contaminant in wastewater samples. Our findings demonstrate the potential of fiber optrode sensors for the direct detection of estradiol and other small molecule contaminants in environmental samples, offering significant advancements in environmental monitoring and analysis.