Preparation of Selective and Reproducible SERS Sensors of Hg2+ Ions via a Sunlight-Induced Thiol–Yne Reaction on Gold Gratings

In this contribution, we propose a novel functional surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) platform for the detection of one of the most hazardous heavy metal ions, Hg2+. The design of the proposed sensor is based on the combination of surface plasmon-polariton (SPP) supporting gold grating with the high homogeneity of the response and enhancement and mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA) based specific recognition layer. For the first time, diazonium grafted 4-ethynylphenyl groups have undergone the sunlight-induced thiol–yne reaction with MSA in the presence of Eosine Y. The developed SERS platform provides an extremely sensitive, selective, and convenient analytical procedure to detect mercury ions with limit of detection (LOD) as low as 10−10 M (0.027 µg/L) with excellent selectivity over other metals. The developed SERS sensor is compatible with a portable SERS spectrophotometer and does not require the expensive equipment for statistical methods of analysis.

[1]  M. Ibrahim,et al.  Computational spectroscopic study of copper, cadmium, lead and zinc interactions in the environment , 2005 .

[2]  Yi Zhang,et al.  Label-free colorimetric detection of cadmium ions in rice samples using gold nanoparticles. , 2014, Analytical chemistry.

[3]  V. Svorcik,et al.  Flexible SERS substrate for portable Raman analysis of biosamples , 2018, Applied Surface Science.

[4]  Nianqiang Wu,et al.  Plasmon-enhanced optical sensors: a review. , 2015, The Analyst.

[5]  Paresh Chandra Ray,et al.  Highly selective SERS probe for Hg(II) detection using tryptophan-protected popcorn shaped gold nanoparticles. , 2011, Chemical communications.

[6]  T. Trindade,et al.  A general strategy to prepare SERS active filter membranes for extraction and detection of pesticides in water. , 2018, Talanta.

[7]  H. Walach,et al.  Inorganic Mercury and Alzheimer’s Disease—Results of a Review and a Molecular Mechanism , 2015 .

[8]  Junle Qu,et al.  SERS-based ultrasensitive sensing platform: An insight into design and practical applications , 2017 .

[9]  Yujie Ma,et al.  Colorimetric sensing strategy for mercury(II) and melamine utilizing cysteamine-modified gold nanoparticles. , 2013, The Analyst.

[10]  Luis M Liz-Marzán,et al.  Traps and cages for universal SERS detection. , 2012, Chemical Society reviews.

[11]  H. Tse,et al.  Health risk and significance of mercury in the environment , 2014, Environmental Science and Pollution Research.

[12]  V. Svorcik,et al.  Pretreatment-free selective and reproducible SERS-based detection of heavy metal ions on DTPA functionalized plasmonic platform , 2017 .

[13]  Shekhar Bhansali,et al.  Rapid Detection of Infectious Envelope Proteins by Magnetoplasmonic Toroidal Metasensors. , 2017, ACS sensors.

[14]  N. S. Sarma,et al.  CdTe/ZnS core/shell quantum dot-based ultrasensitive PET sensor for selective detection of Hg (II) in aqueous media , 2016 .

[15]  Qitao Zhou,et al.  Review of microfluidic approaches for surface-enhanced Raman scattering , 2016 .

[16]  C. García-Ruiz,et al.  Detection and identification of explosives by surface enhanced Raman scattering , 2016 .

[17]  V. Svorcik,et al.  Dual Mode Chip Enantioselective Express Discrimination of Chiral Amines via Wettability-Based Mobile Application and Portable Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Measurements. , 2019, ACS sensors.

[18]  Ai-hui Liang,et al.  Label-free SERS study of galvanic replacement reaction on silver nanorod surface and its application to detect trace mercury ion , 2016, Scientific Reports.

[19]  B. Campanella,et al.  Impact of protein concentration on the determination of thiolic groups of ovalbumin: a size exclusion chromatography-chemical vapor generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry study via mercury labeling. , 2014, Analytical chemistry.

[20]  V. Ananikov,et al.  Visible light mediated metal-free thiol–yne click reaction , 2016, Chemical science.

[21]  M. Bezerra,et al.  Determination of trace metals in high-salinity petroleum produced formation water by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry following on-line analyte separation/preconcentration , 2011 .

[22]  V. Svorcik,et al.  Surface Plasmon-Polariton: A Novel Way To Initiate Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition. , 2019, Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids.

[23]  Jorge Escorihuela,et al.  Metal‐Free Click Chemistry Reactions on Surfaces , 2015 .

[24]  U. Zweifel,et al.  United Nations Environment Programme , 2005, Essential Concepts of Global Environmental Governance.

[25]  M. Starr,et al.  Determination of methyl mercury in humic-rich natural water samples using N2-distillation with isotope dilution and on-line purge and trap GC-ICP-MS , 2014 .

[26]  Martin M. F. Choi,et al.  Photoelectrochemical sensor for detecting Hg2+ based on exciton trapping , 2015 .

[27]  M. Chehimi,et al.  Silanized aryl layers through thiol-yne photo-click reaction. , 2015, Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids.

[28]  Hongkai Wu,et al.  Nanoporous gold based optical sensor for sub-ppt detection of mercury ions. , 2013, ACS nano.

[29]  Yan Zhang,et al.  Graphene oxide as an efficient signal-to-background enhancer for DNA detection with a long range resonance energy transfer strategy. , 2011, Chemical communications.

[30]  E. Méndez,et al.  Toward decentralized analysis of mercury (II) in real samples. A critical review on nanotechnology-based methodologies. , 2013, Analytica chimica acta.

[31]  Heba A Yassa,et al.  Autism: a form of lead and mercury toxicity. , 2014, Environmental toxicology and pharmacology.

[32]  V. Svorcik,et al.  Large‐Scale, Ultrasensitive, Highly Reproducible and Reusable Smart SERS Platform Based on PNIPAm‐Grafted Gold Grating , 2017 .

[33]  V. Svorcik,et al.  Surface modification of Au and Ag plasmonic thin films via diazonium chemistry: Evaluation of structure and properties , 2017 .

[34]  Bing Zhao,et al.  Mercury species induced frequency-shift of molecular orientational transformation based on SERS. , 2016, The Analyst.

[35]  Xinbin Feng,et al.  Human exposure to mercury in a compact fluorescent lamp manufacturing area: By food (rice and fish) consumption and occupational exposure. , 2015, Environmental pollution.

[36]  Junhong Chen,et al.  Ultrasensitive Quantum Dot Fluorescence quenching Assay for Selective Detection of Mercury Ions in Drinking Water , 2014, Scientific Reports.

[37]  Li Li,et al.  Application of L-cysteine capped core–shell CdTe/ZnS nanoparticles as a fluorescence probe for cephalexin , 2014 .

[38]  A. Lowe,et al.  Thiol-ene “click” reactions and recent applications in polymer and materials synthesis , 2010 .

[39]  V. Lemos,et al.  A new method for preconcentration and determination of mercury in fish, shellfish and saliva by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry. , 2014, Food chemistry.

[40]  Niladri Basu,et al.  Current progress on understanding the impact of mercury on human health , 2017, Environmental research.

[41]  D. Mareš,et al.  Surface Plasmon Polaritons on Silver Gratings for Optimal SERS Response , 2015 .

[42]  T. L. Brown,et al.  INFRARED SPECTRA OF COMPLEXES OF L-CYSTEINE AND RELATED COMPOUNDS WITH ZINC (II), CADMIUM (II), MERCURY (II), AND LEAD (II). , 1965, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[43]  Liguang Xu,et al.  Ultrasensitive SERS detection of mercury based on the assembled gold nanochains. , 2015, Biosensors & bioelectronics.

[44]  V. Svorcik,et al.  SERS platform for detection of lipids and disease markers prepared using modification of plasmonic-active gold gratings by lipophilic moieties , 2018, Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical.

[45]  Q. Bao,et al.  Facile Fabrication of High‐Density Sub‐1‐nm Gaps from Au Nanoparticle Monolayers as Reproducible SERS Substrates , 2016 .

[46]  F. Bessueille,et al.  Development and Comparison of Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Gold Substrates for In Situ Characterization of ‘Model’ Analytes in Organic and Aqueous Media , 2019, Chemistry Africa.

[47]  Hyunuk Kim,et al.  Unusually stable, versatile, and pure arenediazonium tosylates: their preparation, structures, and synthetic applicability. , 2008, Organic letters.

[48]  N. Pradhan,et al.  Gold nanoparticles as efficient sensors in colorimetric detection of toxic metal ions: A review , 2017 .

[49]  Juyoung Yoon,et al.  Fluorescent and colorimetric sensors for detection of lead, cadmium, and mercury ions. , 2012, Chemical Society reviews.

[50]  Sung Yul Lim,et al.  Mercury(ii) detection by SERS based on a single gold microshell. , 2010, Chemical communications.

[51]  Y. Yagcı,et al.  Diazonium salt-derived 4-(dimethylamino)phenyl groups as hydrogen donors in surface-confined radical photopolymerization for bioactive poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) grafts. , 2012, Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids.

[52]  G. Genchi,et al.  Mercury toxicity and neurodegenerative effects. , 2014, Reviews of environmental contamination and toxicology.