Rapid and sensitive detection of pesticide residues using dynamic surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Abstract

Pesticide residues are one of the major food safety concerns for consumers all over the world, and it is crucial to develop simple, rapid, and effective method for the detection of pesticide residues. In the study, we report the sensitive detection of pesticides with the dynamic surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (dynamic SERS) method. The dynamic SERS method provides excellent detection sensitivity at the metastable state of plasmonic nanoparticles in the sessile drop, which is a critical state between the wet state and dry state during the volatilization process. With this simple and rapid method, the SERS performance towards four pesticides, paraquat, thiabendazole, tricyclazole, and isocarbophos, is investigated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as the enhancing reagents. The characteristic SERS spectra of paraquat, thiabendazole, tricyclazole, and isocarbophos can be detected at concentrations down to 1 × 10−9 M, 5 × 10−9 M, 5.28 × 10−9 M, and 3.45 × 10−7 M, respectively. The pesticides are also discriminable at the same concentrations as the standard solution counterparts from the pesticides spiked vegetable extracts, and linear relationship can be drawn from the characteristic peak intensities and negative logarithm of concentrations of the four pesticides. Therefore, the simple and rapid dynamic SERS method shows great potential in the practical detection of pesticide residues.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) of Neonicotinoid Insecticide Thiacloprid Assisted by Silver and Gold Nanostructures

“…The characteristic strong or very strong peaks around 627 cm -1 (Á < -3 cm -1 ), 817 cm -1 (Á < AE2 cm -1 ), and 1096 cm -1 (Á < AE3 cm -1 ) can be assigned to the stretching C-Cl vibration. 10 All peaks in the SERS spectra have very small shifting with respect to those reported. 9,10,12 Furthermore, according to Cañamares and Feis 12 and Yaseen et al, 14 the bands observed by us around 817 and 1585 cm -1 can be connected with CH bending and pyridine stretching bands, respectively.…”

“…10 All peaks in the SERS spectra have very small shifting with respect to those reported. 9,10,12 Furthermore, according to Cañamares and Feis 12 and Yaseen et al, 14 the bands observed by us around 817 and 1585 cm -1 can be connected with CH bending and pyridine stretching bands, respectively. Additionally, these peaks are consistent with the Raman peaks taken when the chemical was deposited on the glass substrate (Table II).…”

“…9 Surface-enhanced Raman diagnostic membranes were used for SERS study of several insecticides, among which is the thiacloprid. 10 Moreover, Phifer 11 analyzed apple samples for insecticide residues and applied the generated calibration curves to quantify the presence of the residues. Minimum concentration of 12.4 parts per billion (ppb) (12.4 mg/L) was detected, which is below the insecticide residue tolerance levels for apples stated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.…”

Constructing a Ring-like Self-Aggregation SERS Sensor with the Coffee Ring Effect for Ultrasensitive Detection and Photocatalytic Degradation of the Herbicides Paraquat and Diquat

“…It is a significant criterion for the developed SERS sensor to achieve sensitive detection signals. The Raman signals of the SERS sensor change with the increase of the volatilization amount of the sessile droplet of SiO 2 @Ag nanoparticles and target species, and the most effective enhancement of signals takes place with the self-aggregation of the SiO 2 @Ag nanoparticles to the external ring during the solvent evaporation owing to the coffee ring effect. , To overcome the influence of the coffee ring effect during the dynamic process, the evolution intensities of the SERS signals were recorded for paraquat with a concentration of 10 –3 mol·L –1 to obtain the optimum detection conditions on the coffee ring and the non-coffee ring, as summarized in Figure .…”

Quasi‐3D‐Structured Surface‐Enhanced Raman Scattering Substrates Based on Silver Nanoparticles/Mesoporous Silicon Hybrid

“…[6][7][8][9] Many researchers have successfully used the Raman spectrometry method to detect pesticide residues based on SERS using noble nanometals, especially gold nanostructures for controlling pollution of fruits and food. [10,11] Since being accidentally discovered in 1956 by Arthur Uhlir and Ingeborg Uhlir, porous silicon (PSi) has been widely used for sensors, such as biological sensors, [12,13] electrochemical sensors, [14] and optical sensors. [15] PSi exhibits key features for label-free sensors and biochemical sensor applications due to its easy, fast, and low-cost fabrication; tunable shape, pore size, porosity, and thickness [16] ; high surface area of %170 m 2 cm À3 [17] ; detection of molecules/ target analytes via the photoluminescent spectrum or as a wavelength shift in the reflectivity spectrum; and biocompatibility with existing silicon-based microelectronic technology for biological applications.…”