Novel Sampling Tickets for Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) of Chemical and Biological (CB) Threat Materials
SBIR Opportunity Analysis
The Department of Defense is seeking SBIR solutions for novel sampling tickets that use Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy to improve detection of chemical and biological threat materials, especially trace amounts that current handheld Raman detectors struggle to identify. The work calls for physically semi-porous flexible coupons with plasmonic nanoparticles, including patterned substrates that can be fabricated consistently and used to sample target chemicals and surrogates from operationally relevant surfaces and mixtures. The approach should address enhanced sensitivity and selectivity, with compatibility for fielded Raman devices and wavelengths of 785 nm, 830 nm, and 1064 nm, and should demonstrate performance against dilute targets and mixed samples. The application opens April 13, 2026 and is due May 13, 2026, and Phase II requires delivery of at least 50 substrates for independent analysis at DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center.