Development of a simple SERS substrate for the detection of pollutants and nanoplastics

IF 4.3 2区化学 Q1 SPECTROSCOPY

Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy Pub Date : 2025-04-19 DOI:10.1016/j.saa.2025.126255

Lara Mikac , Hrvoje Gebavi , Justin Perrault , Mile Ivanda

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Abstract

This study investigates the development and characterisation of Ag- and Au-coated silicon filter substrates developed for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) applications. Silver nanoparticles were synthesised by immersing silicon filters in an AgNO₃ solution, with the immersion time playing a crucial role in nanoparticle distribution and SERS efficiency. The highest performance was observed at an immersion time of 30–60 min and allowed the detection of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) at nanomolar concentrations. To improve stability and tunability, gold was sputtered onto the Ag-coated substrates. Optimal performance was achieved with 6 min of Au sputtering, which allowed picomolar sensitivity for 4-MBA and micromolar detection of melamine. These substrates were further tested for the detection of polystyrene (PS) and polyethylene (PE) nanoplastic particles by Raman mapping with particles down to 50 nm. The successful identification showed great potential for the micro-Raman analysis of nanomaterials. The results emphasise the high sensitivity, versatility and ease of production of the SERS substrates and highlight their potential for applications in environmental and food monitoring, especially for the detection of nanoplastics.

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用于检测污染物和纳米塑料的简单SERS衬底的开发

本研究探讨了用于表面增强拉曼光谱（SERS）应用的镀银和镀金硅滤光片的开发和表征。将硅过滤器浸泡在AgNO3溶液中制备银纳米粒子，浸泡时间对纳米粒子的分布和SERS效率起着至关重要的作用。在30-60 min的浸泡时间内，检测4-巯基苯甲酸（4-MBA）的效果最好。为了提高稳定性和可调性，将金溅射到镀银基板上。在6 min的Au溅射中获得了最佳性能，这使得4-MBA和三聚氰胺的检测灵敏度达到了皮摩尔。对这些衬底进行了进一步的测试，以检测聚苯乙烯（PS）和聚乙烯（PE）纳米塑料颗粒的拉曼映射，颗粒低至50 nm。成功的鉴定为纳米材料的微拉曼分析提供了巨大的潜力。结果强调了SERS底物的高灵敏度、多功能性和易于生产，并强调了它们在环境和食品监测方面的应用潜力，特别是在纳米塑料的检测方面。

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来源期刊

Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy 物理-光谱学

CiteScore

8.40

自引率

11.40%

发文量

1364

审稿时长

40 days

期刊介绍： Spectrochimica Acta, Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy (SAA) is an interdisciplinary journal which spans from basic to applied aspects of optical spectroscopy in chemistry, medicine, biology, and materials science. The journal publishes original scientific papers that feature high-quality spectroscopic data and analysis. From the broad range of optical spectroscopies, the emphasis is on electronic, vibrational or rotational spectra of molecules, rather than on spectroscopy based on magnetic moments. Criteria for publication in SAA are novelty, uniqueness, and outstanding quality. Routine applications of spectroscopic techniques and computational methods are not appropriate. Topics of particular interest of Spectrochimica Acta Part A include, but are not limited to: Spectroscopy and dynamics of bioanalytical, biomedical, environmental, and atmospheric sciences, Novel experimental techniques or instrumentation for molecular spectroscopy, Novel theoretical and computational methods, Novel applications in photochemistry and photobiology, Novel interpretational approaches as well as advances in data analysis based on electronic or vibrational spectroscopy.