Porosity-controlled eggshell membrane as 3D SERS-active substrate.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) offers high sensitivity for molecular detection.
• Developing stable and efficient SERS substrates remains a key challenge.
• Eggshell membrane (ESM) presents a unique, biocompatible scaffold for nanomaterial integration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize a novel SERS platform using a 3D porous eggshell membrane (ESM) scaffold decorated with silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs).
• To investigate the effect of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatment on ESM structure and its subsequent impact on SERS performance.
• To evaluate the SERS enhancement efficiency of the fabricated Ag-ESM substrates.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a 3D porous ESM scaffold.
• Controlled modification of ESM pore size and fiber density using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatment.
• In situ synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) onto the ESM scaffold via silver nitrate reduction with ascorbic acid.
• Characterization of the Ag-ESM platform using microscopy and SERS measurements.

Main Results:

• Successfully decorated the 3D porous ESM scaffold with Ag NPs.
• Demonstrated that H2O2 treatment alters ESM structure, increasing pore density and fiber connectivity.
• Achieved consistently higher SERS enhancement on H2O2-treated Ag-ESM substrates compared to native Ag-ESM.
• The dense 3D network of Ag NPs on treated ESM enhances SERS signal amplification.

Conclusions:

• The H2O2-treated Ag-ESM platform is a highly efficient SERS substrate.
• Controlled modification of the ESM scaffold optimizes Ag NP distribution and SERS performance.
• This novel platform holds promise for sensitive molecular detection applications.