Challenges in SERS-based pesticide detection and plausible solutions

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Food Safety
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Consumer safety relies on detecting trace pesticides in food.
• Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a promising technique for sensitive analyte detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current trends in SERS-based pesticide detection.
• To identify and discuss challenges in SERS assays for food safety.
• To compare analyte capture techniques for improving SERS performance.

Main Methods:

• Review of SERS-based pesticide detection assays.
• Analysis of challenges including selectivity, reproducibility, and nonspecific binding.
• Comparison of capture agents: antibodies, aptamers, and molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs).

Main Results:

• SERS shows potential for trace pesticide detection.
• Selectivity, reproducibility, and nonspecific binding remain key challenges.
• Analyte capture techniques like MIPs can mitigate SERS limitations.

Conclusions:

• Optimizing SERS assays requires addressing selectivity and reproducibility issues.
• Advanced capture techniques are crucial for reliable pesticide monitoring in food.
• Further research into minimizing nonspecific binding is needed for robust SERS applications.