This paper presents the research methodology for developing a newly patented technology that provides a highly selective technique for cocaine identification in the presence of adulterants, and as a result has the possibility of application for in-field detection of illicit substances.
This article provides an electrochemical perspective on measuring multiphase chemistry under nanoconfinement, before discussing the researchers’ development of electroanalytical tools that explore chemical transformations, or reactions, at micro- and nano-interfaces. The author discusses the foundational work for the project, stochastic nanoelectrochemistry, explaining the researchers’ use of correlated microscopy to observe how micro- and nanodroplets collide with other interfaces. The author demonstrates how surface environment directs water nanodroplet collisions and reports on measurements of the sub-diffraction-limited nanometer contact area that forms between a microdroplet and a metal surface. The paper reports on the result of the project: the design and characterization of a new electrochemical cell and the development of a new technology that can be used to electroanalyze aerosolized methamphetamine and fentanyl. The technology is designed to be small, simple, and affordable, so it may be a realistic candidate for an in-field sensor, which overcomes sensitivity challenges and provides reliable detection of low-purity cocaine in mixed powders, using water as the only reagent.
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