Silver-based SERS substrates fabricated using a 3D printed microfluidic device.

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Environmental monitoring and food safety demand sensitive detection of harmful chemicals.
• Traditional methods (GC-MS, HPLC) are costly, slow, and labor-intensive.
• Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) offers a sensitive alternative for ultralow concentration detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a reproducible method for synthesizing uniform silver nanoparticles using microfluidics.
• To fabricate highly sensitive SERS substrates for chemical detection.
• To evaluate the analytical performance of the developed SERS substrate for environmental contaminants.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a microfluidic device for controlled synthesis of uniform silver nanoparticles.
• Assembled silver nanoparticles into a monolayer on a porous silicon array to create SERS substrates.
• Investigated synthesis conditions affecting nanoparticle properties (size, SPR wavelength).

Main Results:

• Achieved high Raman signal enhancement factors for rhodamine B (8.59 × 10^6) and melamine (8.21 × 10^3).
• Determined low detection limits for rhodamine B (1.94 × 10^-10 M) and melamine (2.8 × 10^-8 M).
• Demonstrated excellent reproducibility with low relative standard deviations (3.4% and 4.6%).

Conclusions:

• The microfluidic-assisted synthesis provides a reproducible route to high-performance SERS substrates.
• The developed SERS substrate shows exceptional analytical capabilities for detecting trace contaminants.
• This technology holds significant potential for environmental monitoring and food safety applications.