Feasibility of SERS-Active Porous Ag Substrates for the Effective Detection of Pyrene in Water.
Sensors (Basel)
; 22(7)2022 Apr 03.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35408378
ABSTRACT
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous pollutants that are typically released into the environment during the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. Due to their relevant carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, and teratogenicity, it is urgent to develop sensitive and cost-effective strategies for monitoring them, especially in aqueous environments. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) can potentially be used as a reliable approach for this purpose, as it constitutes a valid alternative to traditional techniques, such as liquid and gas chromatography. Nevertheless, the development of an SERS-based platform for detection PAHs has so far been hindered by the poor adsorption of PAHs onto silver- and gold-based SERS-active substrates. To overcome this limitation, several research efforts have been directed towards the development of functionalized SERS substrates for the improvement of PAH adsorption. However, these strategies suffer from the interference that functionalizing molecules can produce in SERS detection. Herein, we demonstrate the feasibility of label-free detection of pyrene by using a highly porous 3D-SERS substrate produced by an inductively coupled plasma (ICP). Thanks to the coral-like nanopattern exhibited by our substrate, clear signals ascribable to pyrene molecules can be observed with a limit of detection of 23 nM. The observed performance can be attributed to the nanoporous character of our substrate, which combines a high density of hotspots and a certain capability of trapping molecules and favoring their adhesion to the Ag nanopattern. The obtained results demonstrate the potential of our substrates as a large-area, label-free SERS-based platform for chemical sensing and environmental control applications.
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Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Hidrocarbonetos Policíclicos Aromáticos
/
Nanopartículas Metálicas
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Sensors (Basel)
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Itália