AI Article Synopsis

  • A SERS sensor made from gold-silicon nanowire arrays modified with bovine serum albumin is used to accurately detect mercury ions (Hg2+) in water, crucial for environmental safety.
  • The sensor demonstrated a high Raman enhancement factor of around 2.52 × 10^5 and a remarkably low detection limit of approximately 10^-12 M, well below EPA standards for drinking water.
  • The detection method is highly reliable, showing a linear response to varying Hg2+ concentrations and minimal interference from other metal ions, with a relative standard deviation of about 9.21%.

Article Abstract

Accurate detection of mercury ions (Hg2+) in water is of great importance for environmental protection. Here, a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensor using bovine-serum-albumin-modified gold-silicon nanowire arrays (Au@SiNWAs) is used to detect the ions. The SiNWAs were grown via chemical etching; the addition of modified gold particles on the surface formed Au@SiNWAs to increase the surface activity. The Raman enhancement factor was as large as ∼2.52 × 105, which was also confirmed with finite-difference time-domain simulations. The detection limit for Hg2+ ions in water was as low as ∼10-12 M, which is much lower than that stipulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency's maximum residue requirements for drinking water. Furthermore, the SERS intensity was linear with the log of the Hg2+ concentration between 1 pM and 100 nM, with a correlation coefficient of 0.992. There was no significant interference when other metal ions were present, which shows the excellent selectivity of the SERS sensor. Unknown Hg2+ concentrations in water can be readily determined in an accurate and reliable manner, with a relative standard deviation of ∼9.21%.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d1ay00639hDOI Listing

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