Elise Bailey: Towards the Development of a Novel Electrochemical Sensor for the On-Site Detection of Illicit Drugs

<p dir="ltr">Rapid, on-site sensors for the detection of illicit drugs in complex samples are of significant research and law-enforcement interest. We have identified three major areas of sensor need: detection at the roadside of substances often implicated in drug driving, rapid preliminary detection of substances commonly used in drug-facilitated sexual assault, and detection of potentially hazardous cutting agents in recreational drugs.</p><p dir="ltr">Conducting polymers have been shown to provide a promising sensing platform across a range of targets. Their unique electrochemical properties mean that any changes to the system can be investigated electrochemically, and thus upon functionalization the analysis of virtually any analyte of interest is possible, whether via direct attachment or by non-covalent interactions.</p><p dir="ltr">This project involves the iterative synthesis of novel families of thiol-functionalized thiophene monomers and extensive characterization of the corresponding polymers. These polymers putatively form the basis of an electrochemical detection system for illicit substances that is capable of sensing in complex liquid samples.</p>