A photochemical approach to anchor Au NPs on MXene as a prominent SERS substrate for ultrasensitive detection of chlorpromazine

Abstract

As a novel two-dimensional (2D) material, metal carbide (MXene) has been identified as a hotspot research topic in the field of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Herein, we report the increment of SERS activity of titanium carbide (TiC) by incorporation of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) by a facile photoreduction process for the detection of antipsychotic drug. TiC anchored with Au NPs produce a remarkable SERS enhancement by the synergistic action of chemical and electromagnetic mechanisms. The hotspots are formed in the nanometer-scale gaps between Au NPs on the TiC surface for the effective interaction with probe molecules. The proposed TiC/Au-NPs SERS substrate was employed for the detection of chlorpromazine (CPZ) with the wide linear range of 10 −1 -10 −10 M and the ultra-low limit of detection of 3.92 × 10 −11 M. Besides, the SERS effect of the optimized TiC/Au-NPs for the 532 nm excitation exhibits the enhancement factor in the order of 10 9 with the relative standard deviation of < 13% for the uniformity and < 8.80% for the reproducibility. To ensure the practical feasibility of the proposed TiC/Au-NPs SERS substrate, the spike and recovery method was used for the detection of CPZ in human biological fluids like urine and saliva. This work can open up a new approach to improve the SERS activity of MXene-based SERS substrate for practical applications, especially the determination of antipsychotic drugs in environmental pollution management.

Application Prospects of MXenes Materials Modifications for Sensors

“…For efficient interaction with probe molecules, the hotspots are created in the nanometer-scale spaces between Au NPs on the TiC surface ( Figure 11 a). The suggested MXene/Au-NPs SERS platform was used to detect chlorpromazine with a limit of detection of 3.92 × 10 −11 M and a wide linear range of 10 −1 –10 −10 M. Additionally, the enhanced TiC/Au-NP SERS effect for the 532 nm excitation shows a better prediction in the order of 109 with relative standard deviations of 13% for uniform and 8.80% for reproducibility [ 96 ]. It is possible to tailor the plasma frequencies throughout a wide spectral range, from the mid-infrared to near-infrared, by combining interband transitions and boundary effects ( Figure 11 b,c).…”

How Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Could Contribute to Medical Diagnoses

“…Cheng et al showed that it is possible to monitor this drug in a concentration range of from 3.26 × 10 −9 M for CBZ in saliva [69] (see Figure 9). Barveen, Wang, and Chang proposed a different non-invasive approach to drug detection, that of detecting chlorpromazine (CPZ) in human saliva or urine [70]. This method used gold nanoparticles on TiC as the SERS substrate.…”

“…The use of such a SERS sensor made it possible to detect DOX in undiluted blood, with a detection limit of 20 nM. Barveen, Wang, and Chang proposed a different non-invasive approach to drug detection, that of detecting chlorpromazine (CPZ) in human saliva or urine [70]. This method used gold nanoparticles on TiC as the SERS substrate.…”

MoS2 Nanoplatelets on Hybrid Core-Shell (HyCoS) AuPd NPs for Hybrid SERS Platform for Detection of R6G

“…Ag and Au are widely adapted plasmonic materials along with their superior LSPR resonance intensity, stability, and wide wavelength range in which most of Raman emission takes place [ 9 , 11 , 13 ]. Various Ag and Au-based plasmonic platforms have been widely explored for SERS enhancement such as Ag nanorods, porous AgAu NPs, Ag/GQD, Au NPs/MXene, and so forth [ 8 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. The bimetallic hybrid NP configuration can provide extended options to alert the size- and shape-dependent LSPR [ 8 , 19 , 20 ].…”