Biosensors (Jul 2024)

Exploring the Application of Terahertz Metamaterials Based on Metallic Strip Structures in Detection of Reverse Micelles

  • Ziqin Fu,
  • Jin Chen,
  • Xiangxue Chen,
  • Yu Sun,
  • Fengchao Wang,
  • Jing Yang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/bios14070338
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 7
p. 338

Abstract

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Terahertz spectroscopy has unique advantages in the study of biological molecules in aqueous solutions. However, water has a strong absorption capability in the terahertz region. Reducing the amount of liquid could decrease interference with the terahertz wave, which may, however, affect the measurement accuracy. Therefore, it is particularly important to balance the amount and water content of liquid samples. In this work, a terahertz metamaterial sensor based on metallic strips is designed, fabricated, and used to detect reverse micelles. An aqueous confinement environment in reverse micelles can improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the terahertz response. Due to “water pool” trapped in reverse micelles, the DOPC (1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) solution and DOPC emulsion can successfully be identified in intensity by terahertz spectroscopy. Combined with the metamaterial sensor, an obvious frequency shift of 30 GHz can be achieved to distinguish the DOPC emulsion (5%) from the DOPC solution. This approach may provide a potential way for improving the sensitivity of detecting trace elements in a buffer solution, thus offering a valuable toolkit toward bioanalytical applications.

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