Synergizing PIERS and Photocatalysis Effects in a Photo-responsive Ag/TiO Nanostructure for an Ultrasensitive and Renewable PI-PC SERS Technique

Overview

Journal RSC Adv

Publisher Royal Society of Chemistry

Date 2025 Feb 10

PMID 39926238

Authors

Quan-Doan Mai

Dang Thi Hanh Trang

Ta Ngoc Bach

Vo Thi Le Na

Anh-Tuan Pham

Anh-Tuan Le

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a renowned analytical technique for non-invasive molecular identification. Advancements in SERS technology pivot on designing nano-structured substrates to enhance sensitivity and reliability. A key emerging trend involves integrating pre-treatment and post-treatment techniques on these substrates, leveraging advanced nanostructures to bring unique features, such as ultrasensitivity or reusability, to bridge the gap between laboratory and real-world applications of the SERS technique. Despite these advances, the synergistic application of pre- and post-treatment techniques on a single SERS substrate to fully exploit unique physicochemical effects remains underexplored. To address this, we introduce photo-induced-photo-catalytic SERS (PI-PC SERS), a novel technique that synergistically combines photo-induced enhanced Raman scattering (PIERS) and photocatalysis using a single Ag/TiO nanocomposite structure. This method aims to deliver ultrasensitive sensing capabilities and reusability. The PI-PC SERS technique involves pre-irradiating the SERS substrate with UV light to amplify the Raman signal and post-irradiating to remove fouled analytes. Pre-irradiation enhances the SERS signal by several orders of magnitude compared to normal SERS, attributed to the PIERS effect. Consequently, the detection sensitivity for methylene blue (MB) using PI-PC SERS reaches 1.02 × 10 M, significantly better than the 3.04 × 10 M achieved with normal SERS. Similar enhancements are observed for thiram, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.02 × 10 M for PI-PC SERS compared to 2.19 × 10 M for normal SERS. Additionally, post-irradiation facilitates the removal of analyte molecules photocatalysis, restoring the substrate to its pristine state, as the byproducts - water and CO gas - are easily managed. Our findings demonstrate that PI-PC SERS creates ultrasensitive sensors and ensures substrate cleanliness and longevity. This method shows great promise for ultrasensitive, sustainable, and cost-effective applications in chemical sensing and molecular diagnostics.

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