Multiple Simultaneous Detection of Dyes Using Gold-Silver Core-Shell Structures via Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Textile industry growth leads to dye pollution in aquatic environments.
• Dye exposure poses significant health risks, necessitating effective water quality monitoring.
• Development of sensitive, portable sensors for real-time water analysis is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate high-performance Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) substrates using core-shell gold-silver nanoparticles (Au@Ag NPs).
• To optimize Au@Ag NPs for enhanced sensitivity and selectivity in detecting organic dyes.
• To evaluate the potential of these SERS substrates for simultaneous dye detection in real environmental samples.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of core-shell Au@Ag NPs with controlled shell thickness.
• Optimization using experimental methods and Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) calculations.
• Detection of rhodamine B, crystal violet, and methyl orange using SERS.

Main Results:

• Achieved low detection limits: 1.89 × 10^-12 M (rhodamine B), 6.57 × 10^-13 M (crystal violet), and 1.08 × 10^-9 M (methyl orange).
• Demonstrated superior sensitivity compared to single Au or Ag nanoparticles.
• Successfully validated SERS Au@Ag NP substrate performance in real Han River water samples.

Conclusions:

• Core-shell Au@Ag NPs represent a significant advancement for SERS-based environmental sensing.
• The developed substrates enable sensitive, simultaneous detection of multiple dyes in complex matrices.
• This technology shows great promise for practical, on-site water quality monitoring beyond laboratory settings.