Detection of acrylamide using a biodegradable zein-based sensor with surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

In this study, a biodegradable zein/gold SERS platform was tested as a potential tool to detect acrylamide for the first time. It was found that the presence of acrylamide resulted in a characteristic marker SERS peak that did not exist in the background SERS spectrum of the sensor. This unique peak was at 1447 cm(-1). This peak was used to detect and quantify acrylamide in aqueous solutions and a calibration curve was obtained using acrylamide solutions within the range of 10 mg/ml and 10 mu g/ml. After 10 mu g/ml of concentration, it was not possible to make reliable measurements. The error or variation for each concentration in the range of 0.4 mg/ml (for 1 mg/ml) - 1.8 mg/ml (for 10 mg/ml) was observed. SERS was found to be an accurate technique for quantification purposes, in the concentration range studied. The calibration curve had an R-2 value of 0.93 and 0.97 (for log-log calibration curve). This was a proof-of concept study to investigate the potential of a SERS sensor designed on a biodegradable platform and it was shown that this method can be potentially used with a careful design of acrylamide extraction from food samples. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.