Carbonyl metallo immune assay: a new application for Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

We describe here the development of a new, non-isotopic immunological assay termed CMIA (carbonyl metallo immunoassay) that uses metal carbonyl comple xes as tracers and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) as the d etection method. This assay is based on the particular spectral features of these complexes, which show very strong absorption bands in the 1800-2200 cm(-1) spectral range where proteins and organic molecules do not absorb. I n Section 1, the optimisation of the quantitative detection of these tracer s is detailed. In Section 2, the implementation of mono-CMIA is described, including the CMIA assays of three antiepileptic drugs (carbamazepine, phen obarbital, phenytoin). Finally, extension to the simultaneous double- and t riple-CMIA of these drugs is reported. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All r ights reserved.