Crosslinking of organic acid and isocyanate to silver SERS substrates by mercaptoethanol

High-Sensitivity Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Substrate Based on a Gold Colloid Solution with a pH Change for Detection of Trace-Level Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Aqueous Solution

In this study, a gold colloid solution whose parameters were optimized, and without any surfactants, was developed as a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate for the detection of trace-level polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). A gold colloid solution with 57 nm gold particles and pH 13 was prepared to be the SERS substrate. It had impressive enhancement that was two orders of magnitude higher than that of a gold colloid solution with 57 nm gold particles and without pH change (pH 6). Even with a compact field-based Raman spectrometer, naphthalene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, and pyrene were detected, with limits of detection at 6.8 nM, 3.4 nM, 1.8 nM, 0.68 nM (680 pM), and 0.44 nM (440 pM), respectively. The significant enhancement was ascribed to an electromagnetic mechanism and a charge-transfer mechanism. Quantitative analyses for these five PAHs in water were also performed. The SERS intensities of PAHs were found to have good linear dependence relations with the concentrations in low concentration. This high-sensitivity, easily prepared substrate offers a promising technology for the quantitative detection of trace-level PAHs.

C18-modified metal-colloid substrates for surface-enhanced Raman detection of trace-level polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in aqueous solution

Metal colloids immobilized on a glass support substrate are modified with a self-assembled alkylsilane (C18) layer to promote adsorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from aqueous solutions. Detection of these compounds from low concentration solutions is accomplished by using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). SERS spectra of pyrene adsorbed to C18-modified immobilized silver colloids are dominated by Raman bands that are not consistent with pyrene and indicate that pyrene undergoes a chemical reaction at the surface. The origins of this surface product are investigated, and it is determined that silver and oxygen are required to form the product, whose Raman spectrum is consistent with oxidation to a quinone. When a C18-modified gold-colloid substrate is used, Raman scattering consistent with unreacted pyrene is observed. The adsorption and detection of pyrene adsorbed from low (2 ppb) concentration aqueous solutions onto C18-modified gold-colloid substrates is reported; naphthalene and phenanthrene are detected at approximately 5 ppb. Adsorption kinetics are rapid (<5 min), and the concentration-dependent SERS response is consistent with a Langmuir isotherm.