High-throughput and high-sensitive direct detection for pathogenic bacteria of urinary tract infections mediated by block-based design of flexible non-metallic composite SERS substrate

Abstract

It remains a huge challenge to realize a high-throughput direct detection for pathogenic bacteria with high-sensitivity in practice. Here, we develop a typical two-dimensional (2D) composite semiconductor of BP@MoS₂ with special synergistic chemical enhancement-mediated surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity. The relative proportion of MoS₂ and BP was rationally adjusted in the hydrothermal reaction to screen a composite sample with high charge transfer efficiency. Furthermore, the optimal BP@MoS₂ nanocomposites were integrated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film based on a hydrophilic-hydrophobic scheme to improve the collection and on-site monitoring capability of SERS substrate. Unlike the conventional detection chip, this hydrophilic-hydrophobic model could facilitate the block design of active areas on the PDMS matrix, which was benefit for the high-throughput detection. More importantly, this SERS substrate was applied to directly monitor urinary tract pathogens of Escherichia coli, facilitating satisfactory recoveries between 90% and 110%. Overall, the as-proposed PDMS-BP@MoS₂ SERS substrate exhibited advantages in the collection, quantification, and high-throughput fingerprint recognition of pathogenic bacteria, offering a new avenue for the clinical detection.