Periodic Reporting for period 1 - NanoStruct (Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for the reliable analysis of solid-state surfaces)
Période du rapport: 2022-07-01 au 2022-12-31
In many industrial and societal fields high purity materials are crucial. The production process of semiconducting devices or ultrasensitive lenses strongly depends on the absence of contaminations. But also in other industrial sectors unwanted contaminants like germs or environmental pollution can lead to dangers to human health or the environment. While the method SERS is already well known, its broad application in industry was up to now limited by the missing reliability of former SERS-substrates. NanoStruct aims at rendering the versatile and powerful method surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) more reliable. This new reliability opens the chance to enter markets like semiconductor industry or food industry formerly not accessible for the method SERS. Even the utilization of the method for the analysis of solid-state surfaces becomes feasible by applying NanoStruct SERS-plasters.
In the project at hand a thorough market analysis to understand the need for a new reliable, fast and precise analysis method in different markets and market segments was the central activity. Several concrete applications with high impacts for security and health could be identified and first customers and potential users of NanoStructs SERS-products were found. This sets the base for the final steps of product development, in particular the use and the test of the NanoStruct SERS-plasters in the industrial environment. Moreover, based on the findings of the market analysis a strategic plan to market the SERS products in the market segments where a high social and environmental impact can be achieved was developed.
In the project NanoStruct, several industrial areas could be identified, which have a large need for a sensitive and reliable method to identify contaminations. In each of them applying the new method potentially has a large impact. For example, the examination of surfaces for remnants of explosives can yield a higher safety for humans and the fast identification of germs, in particular bacteria, can lead to a faster allocation of illnesses, thus ensuring a fast and correct treatment of a patient and in semiconductor industry it can help in the development of new devices.
To ensure the successful implementation of the product in these high impact field, the next step is the optimization of the product for the particular application taking into account regulatory aspects and the environment where the product will be applied.
To ensure the successful implementation of the product in these high impact field, the next step is the optimization of the product for the particular application taking into account regulatory aspects and the environment where the product will be applied.