| Abstract: | In this study, the surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) technique was used to asses key information regarding the surface adsorption of Rifampicin (RIF) onto magnetite nanoparticle previously dressed with a bilayer of lauric acid (LA). The effects of white light illumination on the physicochemical properties of the RIF molecule were also investigated. Transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, zeta‐potential, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were also employed to characterize the investigated materials. Vibrational mode assignments for the SERS spectra and comparison between the data recorded from the free and adsorbed RIF provided insights for the adsorption of this biomolecule onto the LA‐bilayer dressed magnetite nanoparticle. The results suggested that the species binding to the outer carboxylate group of the LA‐bilayer is more likely the piperazine nitrogen adjacent to the imine nitrogen. The SERS data also revealed the enhancement of the RIF molecule stability to white light irradiation while adsorbed onto the magnetite nanoparticle. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
