Methods for sample preparation and signal amplification in antibiotic detection using surface-enhanced Raman...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Widespread antibiotic use and environmental release create significant ecological challenges.
• Effective detection tools are crucial for managing antibiotic contamination in complex matrices.
• Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) offers a sensitive platform for molecular detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and highlight advanced tools for antibiotic pretreatment, isolation, and detection.
• To explore the potential of SERS coupled with various enrichment and amplification techniques.
• To identify future directions for improving SERS-based antibiotic detection in environmental samples.

Main Methods:

• Review of SERS compatibility with preconcentration (solid-phase/solvent (micro)extraction) and amplification (microfluidics, lateral flow assays).
• Discussion of magnetic enrichment and molecularly imprinted polymers for antibiotic detection.
• Exploration of SERS-coupled solid/liquid phase extraction and the need for novel nanomaterials.

Main Results:

• SERS has been successfully integrated with various techniques for antibiotic detection.
• Hybrid approaches combining SERS with extraction and magnetic enrichment show significant potential.
• Deep learning, particularly automatic feature extraction, offers enhanced interpretation of SERS data.

Conclusions:

• SERS-based methods, especially when coupled with advanced extraction and nanomaterials, are powerful tools for antibiotic detection.
• Further research into SERS-coupled solid/liquid phase extraction is warranted.
• Integration of deep learning with SERS holds promise for more accurate and efficient antibiotic monitoring in food and wastewater.