High quality gold nanorods and nanospheres for surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid

A solid-phase fluorescence sensor for measuring chemical species in water

In this study, the first of its kind, a solid-phase fluorescence sensing platform was developed to quantify contaminants in water. ZnO quantum dots (QDs) were combined with molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) to form fluorescence sensing materials. Solid sensing layers were formed via a straightforward spin-coating method, which demonstrated a strong attachment to the sensor substrate while maintaining the integrity of the sensing materials. The developed sensing platform comprised a portable fluorescence detector to measure fluorescence intensity, instead of traditional fluorescence spectroscopy. The solid sensing platform was first tested with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), demonstrating high sensitivity (0.0233) and a very strong correlation (0.98) between the target molecule concentration and sensor signal. Further, the sensing platform was successfully adapted to measure a substance with a different molecular mass and chemical structure, the algae toxin microcystin-LR (MCLR); this demonstrated the sensor's versatility in quantifying target molecules. Tap water samples spiked with MCLR were also used to test the sensor's practical application. Finally, the working mechanism of the sensing platform was established, and the key information for using the sensor to measure various contaminants was determined. With its high performance, broad applicability, and ease of use, the developed platform provides a suitable basis for lab-on-chip image-based sensing devices for environmental monitoring.

Opportunities and Challenges for Alternative Nanoplasmonic Metals: Magnesium and Beyond

Materials that sustain localized surface plasmon resonances have a broad technology potential as attractive platforms for surface-enhanced spectroscopies, chemical and biological sensing, light-driven catalysis, hyperthermal cancer therapy, waveguides, and so on. Most plasmonic nanoparticles studied to date are composed of either Ag or Au, for which a vast array of synthetic approaches are available, leading to controllable size and shape. However, recently, alternative materials capable of generating plasmonically enhanced light-matter interactions have gained prominence, notably Cu, Al, In, and Mg. In this Perspective, we give an overview of the attributes of plasmonic nanostructures that lead to their potential use and how their performance is dictated by the choice of plasmonic material, emphasizing the similarities and differences between traditional and emerging plasmonic compositions. First, we discuss the materials limitation encapsulated by the dielectric function. Then, we evaluate how size and shape maneuver localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) energy and field distribution and address how this impacts applications. Next, biocompatibility, reactivity, and cost, all key differences underlying the potential of non-noble metals, are highlighted. We find that metals beyond Ag and Au are of competitive plasmonic quality. We argue that by thinking outside of the box, i.e., by looking at nonconventional materials such as Mg, one can broaden the frequency range and, more importantly, combine the plasmonic response with other properties essential for the implementation of plasmonic technologies.

SERS Chemical Enhancement of 2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic Acid Adsorbed on Silver Substrate

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was employed to gain an understanding of the chemical enhancement mechanism of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T), an Agent Orange, adsorbed on a silver substrate surface. Experimental measurements were performed using a micro-Raman spectrophotometer with an excitation wavelength of 532 nm and successfully detected 2,4,5-T at a relatively low concentration of 0.4 nM. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations on the interactions of the 2,4,5-T molecule with some small silver clusters, Ag_n with n = 4, 8, and 20, as well as with extended Ag surfaces, demonstrate that the most stable adsorption configuration is formed via coordination of Cl9 sites and carbonyl C═O group on the 2,4,5-T ligand to the Ag atoms on surfaces. Analyses of charge transfer mechanism and frontier orbitals distributions show an electron transfer from 2,4,5-T to the cluster in the ground state, and an inversed trend occurs for the excited singlet state process, consequently leading to a chemical enhancement of SERS signals. The obtained results are of importance for subsequent work in guiding the design of mobile sensors specifically used for services of rapid screening and detection of these toxic compounds present in the environment, as well as agricultural and food products. Extensive computations pointed out that small silver clusters, in particular of Ag₂₀ size, can be used as appropriate models for a metal nanoparticle surface.

Study of 2,4-D Spectral Characteristics and Its Detection in Zizania Latifolia Using Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy

2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is a common plant growth regulator, which can remain in food and, with long-term consumption, threaten human health. Therefore, it is necessary to propose an effective detection method. Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy technique (THz-TDS) has good advantages in the quantitative and qualitative analysis of most biomolecules due to its rich fingerprint characteristics. In this paper, density functional theory (DFT) was applied to geometry optimization and frequency vibration calculation of 2,4-D, and THz-TDS was used to quantitatively detect 2,4-D in Zizania latifolia. The results showed that there were three characteristic absorption peaks of 2,4-D at 1.36, 1.60, and 2.38 THz, respectively, and the theoretical spectra were in good consistency with experimental spectra, with slight discrepancies. Additionally, the absorption peak at 1.36 THz had the best absorption characteristics and was chosen as the main peak for 2,4-D quantitative analysis. It was demonstrated that the limits of detection (LOD) of 2,4-D in Zizania latifolia were found to be as low as 5%, the absorbance intensity at 1.36 THz showed a good linear relationship (R2 = 0.9854) with 2,4-D concentration from 5% to 30%, and the recovery was 93.29%–98.75%. Overall, this work enriched the fingerprint database of pesticide molecules on the basis of terahertz spectroscopy and could provide a technical support for the detection of 2,4-D in food by terahertz spectroscopy.

Synthesized Au NPs@silica composite as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate for fast sensing trace contaminant in milk

With increased concerns on milk safety issues, the development of a simple and sensitive method to detect 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), a common contaminant in milk, becomes relevant in safeguarding human health threats that results from its consumption. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) shows excellent ability for various targets analysis but its usage for rapid and accurate determination of analyte via SERS presents challenges. This study attempted the quantification of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) residue in milk using a novel SERS active substrate- decorated silica films with Au nanoparticles (Au NPs@ silica) coupled to chemometric algorithms. Au NPs@ silica composite was synthesized as a SERS sensor through self-assembly. Thereafter, the SERS spectrum of 2,4-D extract from milk with different concentrations based on the developed SERS sensor was collected and the spectra were analyzed by partial least squares (PLS), and variable selection algorithms - genetic algorithm-PLS (GA-PLS), competitive-adaptive reweighted sampling-PLS (CARS-PLS) and ant colony optimization-PLS (ACO-PLS), to develop quantitative models for 2,4-D prediction. The results obtained showed that the CARS-PLS model gave the optimum result with LOD of 0.01 ng/mL realized and a determination coefficient in the prediction set of (R_P) = 0.9836 within a linear range of 10^-2 to 10⁶ ng/mL was achieved. Au NPs@ silica SERS sensor combined with CARS-PLS may be employed for rapid quantification of 2,4-D extract from milk towards its quality and safety monitoring.

Rapid detection and quantification of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in milk using molecularly imprinted polymers-surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

We report the development of a molecularly imprinted polymers-surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (MIPs-SERS) method for rapid detection and quantification of a herbicide residue 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) in milk. MIPs were synthesized via bulk polymerization and utilized as solid phase extraction sorbent to selectively extract and enrich 2,4-D from milk. Silver nanoparticles were synthesized to facilitate the collection of SERS spectra of the extracts. Based on the characteristic band intensity of 2,4-D (391 cm^-1), the limit of detection was 0.006 ppm and the limit of quantification was 0.008 ppm. A simple logarithmic working range (0.01-1 ppm) was established, satisfying the sensitivity requirement referring to the maximum residue level of 2,4-D in milk in both Europe and North America. The overall test of 2,4-D for each milk sample required only 20 min including sample preparation. This MIPs-SERS method has potential for practical applications in detecting 2,4-D in agri-foods.

Hybrid nanostructures for SERS: materials development and chemical detection

This review focuses on recent developments in hybrid and nanostructured substrates for SERS (surface-enhanced Raman scattering) studies. Thus substrates composed of at least two distinct types of materials, in which one is a SERS active metal, are considered here aiming at their use as platforms for chemical detection in a variety of contexts. Fundamental aspects related to the SERS effect and plasmonic behaviour of nanometals are briefly introduced. The materials described include polymer nanocomposites containing metal nanoparticles and coupled inorganic nanophases. Chemical approaches to tailor the morphological features of these substrates in order to get high SERS activity are reviewed. Finally, some perspectives for practical applications in the context of chemical detection of analytes using such hybrid platforms are presented.