A silver-nanoparticle/cellulose-nanofiber composite as a highly effective substrate for surface-enhanced Raman...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) requires highly sensitive substrates for detecting trace analytes.
• Existing SERS substrates can be expensive and complex to fabricate.
• Paper-based platforms offer a low-cost, flexible, and potentially biocompatible alternative for sensing applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly active and cost-effective SERS substrate using readily available materials.
• To optimize the silver nanoparticle size and density on cellulose fibers for enhanced SERS performance.
• To demonstrate the substrate's capability for sensitive detection and molecular recognition analysis.

Main Methods:

• Facile deposition of silver nanoparticles onto cellulose filter paper via the silver mirror reaction.
• Controlled synthesis of silver nanoparticles with optimized size (approx. 70 nm) and loading density (17.28 wt%).
• Characterization of the paper-based substrate's particle-on-fiber structure and 3D network morphology.

Main Results:

• Achieved a remarkable detection limit down to the sub-attomolar (1 x 10^-16 M) level using Rhodamine 6G as the analyte.
• Obtained a high enhancement factor of 3 x 10^6.
• Successfully monitored molecular recognition via hydrogen bonding between adenosine and thymidine nucleosides.

Conclusions:

• The developed paper-based SERS substrate is highly active, sensitive, and cost-effective.
• Its unique structure and optimized silver nanoparticle characteristics enable ultra-trace level detection.
• This biocompatible substrate shows significant potential for the analysis of diverse chemical and biomolecular species.