Rapid detection of nicotine from breath using desorption ionisation on porous silicon

Smoke signals on the breath

20 December 2017

Nicotine can be directly detected in breath without the need for lengthy lab tests.

Breathalysers are commonly used for alcohol tests but on-the-spot screening for smaller molecules found in drugs, usually in saliva, can be unreliable and require further analysis in the lab.

A team including researchers from the University of South Australia made a breathalyser by inserting a porous silicon chip into a straw and used it to capture the breath from a habitual cigarette smoker. Laser excitation of the silicon surface revealed which molecules were present in the breath without interference, and revealed nicotine in the same concentrations as other lab-based screening methods.

The technique represents a promising step towards instant breath analysis for evidence of illegal drugs or biomarkers, molecules that could diagnose diseases.

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References

1. Chem. Commun. 53, 5224-5226 (2017). doi: 10.1039/C7CC00243B