ABSTRACT
In spite of the largely increasing use of Raman spectroscopy in
research and development over the last few decades, it has, so
far, rarely been applied for quantitative measurements in analytical
chemistry and not at all as a reference measurement method
on a metrological level. Especially when it comes to critical
measurements in internationally regulated areas such as clinical
chemistry other tools such as mass spectrometry are applied. The
main factors limiting the application of Raman spectroscopy so far
have been the lack of reproducibility and sensitivity of the method.
We will describe here, how these limitations can be completely
and simultaneously overcome by the application of isotope-dilution
surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (ID-SERS). This chapter
describes the critical demand for SI-traceable measurements of a
high accuracy in clinical chemistry, the application of this new tool to
solve the aforementioned problem and the analytical potential of ID-
SERS beyond the limits of established analytical reference methods.
With the continuing globalization of trade and economy, the
reliability of measurement results of any kind is of increasing
importance. Traceability to recognized references, ultimately to the
International System of Units (abbreviated as SI, from the French
Le Syste`me International d’Unite´s), is an indispensable prerequisite for measurement results to be comparable and trustworthy. This
also holds for chemical measurements. Particularly in this field
decisions and agreements on life and well being of each individual
often critically depend on analytical results, be it in medical
diagnostics or by the monitoring of limit values in foodstuffs and
environmental analysis. It is the central aim of current activities
in Metrology in Chemistry to build confidence in the reliability of chemical measurements and thereby afford both trade and society
an internationally recognized metrological reference framework.
