Quantitative analysis of aqueous biomolecular mixtures by THz spectroscopy based on high-power LiNbO3 radiation source

Abstract

The rapid and accurate identification of the types and contents of early pathological markers by THz technology are of particular importance for the prevention and treatment of major diseases. Nevertheless, these markers usually contain interference from water and other non-target molecules, resulting in low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and making identification and quantitative analysis difficult. Here, based on THz spectroscopy from a high-power THz source radiated by LiNbO3, we perform quantitative and real-time THz detection of mixtures (α-lactose monohydrate and 4-aminobenzoic acid) in liquids. The results demonstrate that the absorption spectra of the aqueous biomolecular mixtures exhibit an accumulation of THz features of each pure product, i.e., the amplitude of the absorption peaks is proportional to the mixing ratio, while the corresponding absorption baseline increases with decreasing concentration. Furthermore, the content of the target substance can be calculated from the linear relationship between the absorption spectra of pure and mixed samples. This technology will support the future application of THz-TDS in early disease diagnosis under complex states and environments.