Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
7138578 | Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical | 2018 | 27 Pages |
Abstract
Nanoplasmonic paper holds considerable promise as an effective surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate for sensitive detection of small molecules. In this study, we report the development of a low cost, flexible, high-performance SERS substrate based on cellulose nanofiber/gold nanoparticle (CNF/AuNP) nanocomposites via vacuum-assisted filtration. The CNF-based matrix enables direct AuNP deposition by filtration due to its nanoscale surface roughness. In addition, the filtration process allows for precise control of the spatial distribution of AuNPs, including the number density and size ratio, which are strongly associated with interparticle plasmon coupling effects. In our experiments, the CNF-AuNP nanocomposite showed excellent SERS activity with a highly sensitive rhodamine 6â¯G detection limit of 10â¯pM and a competitive enhancement factor of 4.5â¯Ãâ¯109. It is important to note that the control of both density number and size ratio of AuNPs contribute to enhancement of SERS. Furthermore, we demonstrated that CNF-AuNP nanocomposite-based SERS can efficiently detect two representative pesticides, thiram and tricyclazole, at trace concentrations. The limits of detection (LOD) for thiram and tricyclazole were found to be as low as 1â¯pM (0.3 ppt) and 10â¯pM (2.4 ppt), respectively, which is 100- to 1000-fold more sensitive than previously reported SERS methods. Additionally, using a CNF-AuNP nanocomposite-based swab provided sensitive detection of pesticide residues on real-world surfaces (apple peel and plant leaf), offering great potential for label-free and on-site detection of hazardous molecules.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Chemistry
Analytical Chemistry
Authors
Dabum Kim, Youngsang Ko, Goomin Kwon, Young-Moo Choo, Jungmok You,