Ultrasensitive Detection of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons(PAHs) in Water Using Three-Dimensional SERS Substrate Based on Porous Material and pH 13 Gold Nanoparticles

摘要

Sensitivity is crucially important for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy(SERS)application to detect trace-level polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)in the seawater.In this study,a high sensitivity three-dimensional(3-D)SERS substrate composed with syringe filter,glycidyl methacrylate-ethylene dimethacrylate(GMA-EDMA)porous material and optimal parameters(57 nm,pH 13)gold nanoparticles(Au NPs)was developed for the detection of PAHs in water.The enhancement effect and repeatability of this 3-D substrate were also explored.The Raman intensity of pyrene using 3-D SERS substrate is about 8 times higher than that of substrate only using p H 13 gold colloid solution and about 12 times higher than that of substrate using natural Au NPs and GMA-EDMA porous material,which means both the pH 13 AuN Ps and the GMA-EDMA porous material are important factors for the sensitivity of this 3-D SERS substrate.Good repeatability of this optimal 3-D substrate was obtained.The relative standard deviation(RSD)is less than 8.66% on the same substrate and less than 3.69% on other different substrates.Four kinds of PAHs,i.e.,phenanthrene,pyrene,benzo(a)pyrene,benzo(k)fluoranthene and their mixture,were detected at the different concentrations.Their limits of detection(LODs)are 8.3×10^-10(phenanthrene),2.1×10^-10(pyrene),3.8×10^-10(benzo(a)pyrene)and 1.7×10^-10 mol L^-1(benzo(k)fluoranthene),respectively.In addition,these four PAHs were also detected by fluorescence spectroscopy to evaluate the sensitivity of SERS technology using this optimal 3-D SERS substrate.The results showed that the sensitivity of SERS based on the 3-D SERS substrate even using the portable Raman system was closed to that of fluorescence spectroscopy.Therefore,the SERS technology using this optimal 3-D substrate is expected to be an in-situ method for the detection of environmental PAHs.