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Modulating protein corona effects in SERS detection with inorganic salts: a strategy for improved melamine detection
Shuna Mi1, Yuhang Du1, Jinfang Zhu2
1State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control in Jiangsu Province, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
Abstract:
Protein corona formation on nanoparticles severely limits the reliability of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for analyte detection in protein-rich food matrices. This study aimed to mitigate protein corona induced signal suppression and improve SERS detection performance. An inorganic salt regulation strategy was developed by introducing salts into gold nanoparticles prior to sample addition, inducing nanoparticle pre-aggregation and avoiding the stabilizing effect of the subsequently formed protein corona. The results showed that weakly adsorbing anions (Cl-) enhanced melamine detection more effectively than strongly adsorbing anions (I-) by promoting competitive adsorption between proteins and target molecules. Meanwhile, monovalent Na+ ions produced more favorable nanoparticle aggregation than divalent cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Ba2+). When applied to milk samples, NaCl reduced the detection limit for melamine from 2 mg/L to 0.1 mg/L. These findings provide a simple and cost-effective strategy to improve SERS detection in protein-rich food matrices.
