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Published on: July 21, 2023
Plasmon-activated water innovatively applicable for improving the performance of surface-enhanced Raman scattering
Wei-Yu Kao1, Shih-Hao Yu2, Fu-Der Mai2
1Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wuxing St., Taipei, 11031, Taiwan; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, 252 Wuxing St., Taipei, 11031, Taiwan; TMU Research Center for Digestive Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, 11031, Taiwan; Taipei Cancer Center, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, 11031, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Metabolism and Obesity Sciences, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, 11031, Taiwan.
Plasmon-activated water (PAW) enhances surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for sensitive and reproducible detection of molecules like rhodamine 6G and pesticides. This green approach offers improved SERS performance compared to traditional methods.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Green Chemistry
Background:
- Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is crucial for sensitive molecular detection.
- Reproducibility, measured by relative standard deviation (RSD), is a key performance metric in SERS.
- Plasmon-activated water (PAW) is an innovative, electron-doped pure water with altered hydrogen bonds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the green applications of PAW for enhancing SERS performance.
- To improve the sensitivity and reproducibility of SERS for model probe molecules and pesticides.
- To develop facile fabrication methods for SERS-active substrates using PAW.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of SERS-active gold and silver substrates using oxidation-reduction cycles (ORCs) in PAW.
- Preparation of gold/silver (Au/Ag) nanocomposites using galvanic replacement reactions (GRRs) in PAW.
- Dissolving analytes, including pesticides, in PAW for SERS analysis.
- Utilizing vapor from in situ PAW as an environmentally friendly etchant for SERS sensing.
Main Results:
- PAW-based fabrication of SERS substrates yielded improved SERS activity and signal reproducibility compared to deionized water (DIW).
- SERS enhancement of rhodamine 6G (R6G) showed two-fold higher intensity and a low RSD of 5% using in situ PAW.
- Au/Ag nanocomposites prepared in PAW exhibited enhanced R6G SERS intensity and lower RSDs than those prepared in DIW.
- PAW effectively improved SERS performance for pesticide detection.
Conclusions:
- PAW is a promising green solvent for enhancing SERS sensitivity and reproducibility.
- Facile fabrication methods using PAW offer a sustainable alternative for SERS-active substrate preparation.
- PAW-based SERS shows significant potential for the detection of various analytes, including pesticides.
