Measurement of pesticide harmful substance concentration by optical analysisProfessor Bong-hyun Jeon (System Biotechnology Department) of Konkuk Institute of Technology and Professor Dae-hong Jeong of Seoul National University have developed a technology that can detect target material accurately and quickly with a single optical analysis. This paper was published on November 28 as a supplementary cover paper to ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (ACS Appl. Materials Interfaces 2018, 10, 40748-40755), an international academic journal in material science.The key technology utilized by the Professor Jeon’s research team is 'Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS)' which can detect specific materials located around metal nanoparticles as intrinsic optical signals. Using this technology, which allows instant analysis of trace amounts of material, the research team has standardized signals for accurate quantitative analysis of internal metal layers. The outer metal layer also made a multi-layered metal nanostructure to detect the intrinsic optical signal of the target material.The research team also developed a system that can easily and simply determine the concentration of the target substance using the SERS signal intensity of the internal standard and the target substance through a proportional analysis of the three-dimensional calibration curve. The research team showed the possibility of quantitative detection of thiram, an ingredient of agricultural chemical, by a single optical analysis. Professor Bong-hyun Jeon said, "Proportional analysis of multi-layer nanoparticles and three-dimensional calibration curves containing SERS internal standards is expected to be widely applicable to high-speed quantitative detection systems for a variety of target substances." And added “It can also be used to quickly detect harmful substances of merchandises which is shipped from the farm.” Professor Bong-hyun Jeon, Professor Dae-hong Jeong, Researcher Eun-il Ham and Researcher Myung-geun Cha participated in the study, which was supported by the Korea Research Foundation.
(From the left, Researcher Eun-il Ham, Professor Bong-hyun Jeon, Professor Dae-hong Jeong, Researcher Myung-geun Cha )