SERS-Active Superhydrophobic Sponge for One-Step Enrichment and Ultrasensitive Quantification of Phthalate Esters in Bottled Water

Abstract

Phthalate esters (PAEs), prevalent plasticizers used extensively in packaging materials, pose significant environmental and health risks. Addressing the challenge of their trace detection, we introduce a dual-functional superhydrophobic sponge (Ag NPs@rGO/PU) that seamlessly integrates sample enrichment and ultrasensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) analysis. This platform (Ag NPs@rGO/PU) combines superhydrophobicity, strong adsorption capacity, and high SERS sensitivity for rapid quantification of trace PAEs in plastic bottled water. The composite was fabricated by photochemical reduction of Ag NPs@GO anchored on polyurethane (PU) foam, enabling efficient reduction of GO and formation of densely distributed plasmonic hotspots. The resulting material exhibited excellent superhydrophobicity (>150°), rapid adsorption kinetics (<80 s), and robust cyclic adsorption capability (>100 cycles). Furthermore, combining SERS with principal component analysis (PCA) enables accurate classification and quantitative analysis of six structurally similar PAEs even in complex mixtures with ultralow detection limits down to 1 × 10^–10 M and linear response (R² ≥ 0.98). Practical applicability was demonstrated by successfully identifying and quantifying trace PAEs in commercial bottled water, uncovering significant migration under high-temperature storage conditions. This platform not only advances the analytical performance for trace contaminant detection but also offers a versatile tool with substantial implications for environmental safety monitoring and protection of public health.