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Selectively Tracking Nanoparticles in Aquatic Plant Using Core-Shell Nanoparticle-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Imaging
Chuan-Wang Yang1, Yi Hu1, Li Yuan1
1CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
ACS Nano
|December 1, 2021
Summary
A new core-shell nanoparticle-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (CSNERS) imaging method tracks silica nanoparticles in plants. This technique reveals rapid nanoparticle translocation and accumulation, aiding nanotoxicity and environmental studies.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Nanoparticles play significant roles in environmental processes.
- Understanding nanoparticle fate in complex environments is challenging due to analytical limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for tracking silica (SiO2) nanoparticles in aquatic plants.
- To investigate the translocation and accumulation of nanoparticles within *Lemna minor*.
Main Methods:
- Developed a core-shell nanoparticle-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (CSNERS) imaging method.
- Utilized gold nanoparticles and Raman reporters for enhanced signal detection.
- Applied CSNERS to track SiO2 nanoparticles in *Lemna minor* at environmentally relevant concentrations.
Main Results:
- Achieved sensitive and selective detection of SiO2 nanoparticles.
- Visualized rapid (hours) nanoparticle translocation and preferential accumulation in plant tissues (nodes, leaf edges, root caps).
- Demonstrated CSNERS's capability for multiplex labeling and simultaneous tracking of differently charged nanoparticles.
Conclusions:
- CSNERS provides a powerful tool for studying nanoparticle fate and biobehavior in complex matrices.
- The method facilitates the spectroscopic determination of nanotoxicity.
- CSNERS has broad applications in nanotoxicity research and biogeochemical studies.
