Date of Award

2020-01-01

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Physics

Advisor(s)

Felicia S. Manciu

Abstract

To accurately identify and measure the concentrations of dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) in mixtures of these neurotransmitters without labeling, a comprehensive, comparative computational and Raman experimental analysis is provided. While the distinction between these two analytes may be accomplished for concentrations in the millimolar range of these mixtures, their accurate quantification remains unattainable. As shown for the first time in this study, potential creation of a new composite resulting from their interactions with each other could be a reason for this lack of quantification.

Although this new hydrogen-bonded complex greatly complicates future analyte differentiation and quantification at concentrations typical of clinical thresholds (i.e. nanomolar concentrations), it may also create new opportunities for use in drug distribution and pharmaceutical investigations. This remark not only is based on the chemical interactions studied here by both theoretical and experimental viewpoints but also on the biological proximity of these neurotransmitters. This work provides a significant, complementary contribution to a deeper understanding of neuronal processes and potential future creation of label-free biosensors.

Language

en

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Size

42 pages

File Format

application/pdf

Rights Holder

Jose A Guerrero

Included in

Optics Commons

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