Issue 18, 2022

Facile fabrication of Ag@C@C8 nanoparticles as a SERS substrate and their environmental applications

Abstract

After preparing carbon-coated silver (Ag@C) nanoparticles by a one-step hydrothermal synthesis method, the surface of the nanoparticles was modified with chlorodimethyloctylsilane (C8) to generate C8 functionalized Ag@C@C8 nanoparticles. The Ag@C@C8 nanoparticles were then employed as a substrate for surface enhancement Raman scattering (SERS). The high sensitivity, good uniformity, and long stability Raman signals for both probe dyes (rhodamine 6G and crystal violet) and a real sample (malachite green) in water demonstrated good performance of the as-synthesised Ag@C@C8 nanoparticles. SEM images and TEM images indicate the successful preparation of Ag@C nanoparticles. The results of energy disperse spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and contact angle measurements all demonstrate that C8 is successfully functionalized on the surface of Ag@C nanoparticles. The combination of an agglomeration effect and the core–shell structure improves the sensitivity and stability of the substrate. The Raman performance of both Ag@C and Ag@C@C8 nanoparticles was evaluated using representative probe molecules such as rhodamine 6G, crystal violet and malachite green. The sensitivity and enhancement factor of Ag@C@C8 were evaluated using folic acid, a non-dye molecule. Additionally, malachite green in several actual water samples was also measured to evaluate the Ag@C@C8 nanoparticles. Then, using crystal violet as a probe molecule, the long-term stability of the Ag@C@C8 nanoparticles was investigated. The results indicate that for four weeks, the intensity deviations of different characteristic peaks were less than 17.5%, and there was no further downward trend. Our strategy partially overcomes the problem of easy oxidation of Ag nanoparticles by coating them with a thin carbon layer, and subsequent functionalization with C8 can increase the SERS sensitivity for certain pollutants due to a condensation effect.

Graphical abstract: Facile fabrication of Ag@C@C8 nanoparticles as a SERS substrate and their environmental applications

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
03 Jul 2022
Accepted
15 Jul 2022
First published
20 Jul 2022

Analyst, 2022,147, 4026-4039

Facile fabrication of Ag@C@C8 nanoparticles as a SERS substrate and their environmental applications

T. Zhang, X. Xin, A. Li, T. Xu, L. Li, C. Liu, W. Li, J. Li, Y. Li and R. Lu, Analyst, 2022, 147, 4026 DOI: 10.1039/D2AN01073A

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