Analysis of phenformin hydrochloride and atypical antipsychotics in plasma using surface-enhanced Raman scattering

The increasing number of deaths caused by drug poisoning indicates that a rapid and accurate method to identify the type of drugs is critically needed to provide a real-time and effective treatment for poisoned patients. In this report, a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) analysis method for the detection of phenformin hydrochloride and atypical antipsychotics in plasma was successfully developed. Colloidal silver, prepared by a redox reaction of hydroxylamine and silver nitrate, was used as a SERS substrate. The pH condition and the sample incubation time for each drug were also explored to improve SERS enhancement factor. Based on these, phenformin hydrochloride and atypical antipsychotics (quetiapine fumarate, risperidone, olanzapine and clozapine) in plasma at concentration of 10 ⁻⁶ M were detected successfully. Thus, we provided a potentially method for rapid diagnosis of acute drugs poisoning.