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Updated: Mar 12, 2026
Colorimetric Paper-based Detection of Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Listeria monocytogenes from Large Volumes of Agricultural Water
Published on: June 9, 2014
Quaternized xylan based paper SERS strips for rapid detection of heavy metal ions in food safety
Yuhan Wang1, Yongsheng Zou1, Haisong Qi1
1State Key Laboratory of Advanced Papermaking & Paper-based Materials, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.
Abstract:
Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) enables rapid trace heavy-metal detection but is often constrained by complex labeling procedures, costly bioligands, and non-degradable or toxic substrates. Here, we report a quaternized xylan (QX)-based paper SERS strip that combines metal-ion recognition with the generation of gold and silver nanoparticles. The quaternary ammonium group, N(CH3)3+Cl-, enables directional coordination for Hg2+ (10-15 to 10-3 M) detection. It also enables anion exchange of Cl- with I- for Cd2+ (10-9 to 10-3 M) and with PO43- for Co2+ (10-7 to 10-3 M) and Pb2+ (0.1 to 100 ppm) detections. These values are below internationally recognized standard for heavy metals in food and agricultural water. These features endow the QX-based paper SERS strips with high sensitivity, lightweight structure, biodegradability, and low cost, offering strong potential for rapid on-site food-safety monitoring.
