Gold nanochips with molecularly imprinted polymer coating for sensing explosives: a surface-enhanced Raman scattering...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Developing selective and sensitive sensors for explosive detection is critical for security applications.
• Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) offer a promising approach for creating synthetic receptors for targeted molecule detection.
• Integrating MIPs with optical sensing techniques like localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) enhances detection capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a sensor with high sensitivity and selectivity for detecting explosives.
• To investigate the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) response of the developed sensor.
• To explore the integration of MIPs with LSPR technology for explosive identification.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a sensor using a gold nanostructure array on a glass substrate (gold nanochip).
• Creation of a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) layer via photochemical polymerization using 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) as a template.
• Assessment of sensor selectivity using SERS and LSPR responses against 4-NP and related nitro-containing compounds.

Main Results:

• The developed sensor demonstrated high selectivity for the target molecule (4-NP) and its analogues.
• The sensor exhibited sensitive detection capabilities, identifying analytes at concentrations as low as 100 μM.
• The combined MIP and LSPR approach proved effective for selective explosive detection.

Conclusions:

• The integration of MIPs with LSPR technology provides a robust platform for sensitive and selective explosive detection.
• Photochemical polymerization offers an effective method for fabricating MIP layers on gold nanostructures.
• This sensor technology holds potential for advanced security and detection applications.