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Author Spotlight: Development and Application of SERS Flexible Substrates Using Synthesized AgNPs
Published on: November 17, 2023
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PHEMA polymer brush/Ag nanoparticle hybrids for SERS analytics: characterization and performance as versatile sensing
Greta Peruzzi1, Alessandro Ciccola2, Francesca Costantini3
1Earth Sciences Department, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Analytica Chimica Acta
|October 15, 2025
Summary
This study introduces a novel hybrid sensor using silver nanoparticles within a polymer brush for sensitive detection. The advanced platform enhances Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) for trace analysis in various fields.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology is vital for molecular sensing.
- Noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) are powerful tools for trace detection in food, environmental, and cultural heritage applications.
- Integrating NPs into polymeric brushes offers sustainable, uniform, and flexible plasmonic platforms with enhanced NP stabilization and spatial distribution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize a novel hybrid sensor system.
- To develop a polymer-based platform for versatile sampling and detection applications.
- To leverage the optoelectronic properties of a gel-brush network for robust Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) performances.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of functionalized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) anchored within a 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (PHEMA) polymeric brush via atom transfer radical polymerization.
- Exploration of different synthetic pathways, including the use of Triethylen Glycol Dimethacrylate as a crosslinker and variations in the AgNO3 reduction protocol.
- Characterization of six different substrates (0.1–1 μm thickness, 20–200 nm NPs size) using microscopic and spectroscopic analyses.
Main Results:
- Successful synthesis of a hybrid sensor system with AgNPs embedded in a PHEMA brush.
- Demonstrated robust SERS performances for detecting probe molecules (Rhodamine 6G, Malachite Green, Alizarin, Ochratoxin A) down to 10^-9 M.
- Characterized substrates with controlled thickness and NP size, showing potential for low-concentration analyte detection across diverse matrices.
Conclusions:
- The PHEMA brush architecture provides enhanced control over SERS and stabilizes NPs, outperforming traditional colloidal systems.
- A novel synthetic route for NP reduction within the polymer matrix creates a hybrid structure compatible with other analytical techniques.
- The developed polymer-based system is a flexible, multifunctional sensing interface with broad applicability in various fields.
