A manganese dioxide–silver nanostructure-based SERS nanoplatform for ultrasensitive tricyclazole detection in rice samples: effects of semiconductor morphology on charge transfer efficiency and SERS analytical performance†
Dao Thi Nguyet Nga,Quan Doan Mai,Nguyen Le Nhat Trang,Minh Khanh Pham,Nguyen Quang Hoa,Vu Dinh Lam,Hoang Van Tuan,Ha Anh Nguyen
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics Pub Date : 06/01/2023 00:00:00 , DOI:10.1039/D3CP01592K
Abstract

Taking advantage of metal–semiconductor junctions, functional nanocomposites have been designed and developed as active substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing systems. In this work, we prepared three types of nanocomposites based on manganese oxide (MnO2) nanostructures and electrochemically synthesized silver nanoparticles (e-AgNPs), which differed according to the morphologies of MnO2. The SERS performance of MnO2 nanosheet/e-Ag (MnO2-s/e-Ag), MnO2 nanorod/e-Ag (MnO2-r/e-Ag), and MnO2 nanowire/e-Ag (MnO2-w/e-Ag) was then evaluated using tricyclazole (TCZ), a commonly used pesticide, as an analyte. Compared to the others, MnO2-s/e-Ag exhibited the most remarkable SERS enhancement. Thanks to its large surface area and ability to accept/donate the electrons of the semiconductor, MnO2-s acted as a bridge to improve the charge transfer efficiency from e-Ag to TCZ. In addition, the MnO2 content of the nanocomposites was also considered to optimize the SERS sensing performance. With the optimal MnO2 content of 25 wt%, MnO2-s/e-Ag could achieve the best SERS performance, allowing the detection of TCZ at concentrations down to 6 × 10−12 M in standard solutions and 10−11 M in real rice samples.

Graphical abstract: A manganese dioxide–silver nanostructure-based SERS nanoplatform for ultrasensitive tricyclazole detection in rice samples: effects of semiconductor morphology on charge transfer efficiency and SERS analytical performance