Graphene Sensor Rapidly Detects Opioid Metabolites in Wastewater

The unique properties of the atom-thick sheet of carbon known as graphene have enabled a new penny-sized, multiplexed bio-sensor that’s the first to detect opioid byproducts in wastewater, reports a team of researchers from Boston College, Boston University and Giner Labs in the latest online edition of the journal ACS Nano. The novel device is the first to use graphene-based field effect transistors to detect four different synthetic and natural opioids at once, while shielding them from wastewater’s harsh elements. When a specific opioid metabolite attaches to a molecular probe on the graphene, it changes the electrical charge on the graphene. These signals are