A new look at an old classic: implementation of a SERS-based water hardness titration

The routine use of SERS as an analytical technique has been hindered by practical considerations among which the irreproducibility of its signals and the lack of robustness of its calibration. In the present work, we examine a strategy to perform quantitative SERS without the need for calibration. The method reinvests a colorimetric volumetric titration procedure to determine water hardness but involves monitoring the progression of the titration through the SERS signal of a complexometric indicator. Upon reaching the equivalence between the chelating titrant and the metal analytes, the SERS signal abruptly jumps, which conveniently serves as an end-point marker. Three mineral waters spanning divalent metal concentrations varying by a factor of 25 were successfully titrated in this way, with satisfactory accuracy. Remarkably, the developed procedure can be run in less than an hour, without laboratory-grade carrying capacity and would be relevant for field measurements.