Collaborative integration of SERS and QCM sensing for label-free multi-component gas detection

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Detecting mixed volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with similar structures is a significant challenge in chemical analysis.
• Existing methods often struggle with selectivity and sensitivity for complex gas mixtures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel sensor platform for simultaneous qualitative and quantitative analysis of multi-component gas mixtures.
• To address the integration challenges of nanomaterials in sensing devices while preserving their high surface area.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of MIL-100(Fe)/PAN composite fibers on a quartz-crystal microbalance (QCM) via electrospinning and hydrothermal synthesis.
• Integration of the composite material with a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection platform.
• Development of a novel algorithm correlating QCM frequency, SERS intensity, and gas concentration.

Main Results:

• The developed MIL-100(Fe)/PAN@QCM sensor achieved simultaneous QCM and SERS detection.
• Linear response for toluene and benzaldehyde was observed between 0-100 ppm, with limits of detection at 0.57 ppm and 0.86 ppm, respectively.
• The algorithm successfully measured mixed toluene and benzaldehyde gases with relative standard deviations of 3-8%.

Conclusions:

• The novel QCM-SERS sensor provides an efficient and rapid method for detecting gas molecules with similar structures.
• This approach offers a promising pathway for the analysis of complex multi-component gas mixtures.
• The integrated material fabrication method overcomes previous integration issues, maintaining high performance.