We report on Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films made with emeraldine salt polyaniline (PAni-ES) and organophilic montmorillonite clay mineral (OMt), where synergy between the components was reached to yield an enhanced performance in detecting trace levels of cadmium (Cd(2+)), lead (Pb(2+)) and copper (Cu(2+)). Detection was carried out using square wave anodic stripping (SWAS) voltammetry with indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes modified with LB films of PAni-ES/OMt nanocomposite, whose data were compared to those obtained with electrodes coated with neat PAni-ES and neat OMt LB films. The enhanced performance in the nanocomposite may be attributed to the stabilizing and ordering effect promoted by OMt in PAni-ES Langmuir films, which then led to more homogeneous LB films. According to X-ray diffraction data, the stacking of OMt layers was preserved in the LB films and therefore the PAni-ES chains did not cause clay mineral exfoliation. Instead, OMt affected the polaronic state of PAni-ES as indicated in UV-vis, Raman and FTIR spectra, also consistent with the changes observed for the Langmuir films. Taken together these results do indicate that semiconducting polymers and clay minerals may be combined for enhancing the electrical properties of nanostructures for sensing and related applications.

No abstract

We report the dynamic behavior of surface-enhancement Raman scattering (SERS) spectra using rhodamine 6G dye (R6G, 10–8 mol L–1) adsorbed on gold nanorods (AuNRs). SERS spectra displayed a strong time-dependence intensity in wet to dry transition states. FEG-SEM images reveal a stacking of AuNRs organization that can lead to Raman signal improvements due to the formation of a 3D hot spot matrix that acts as a trap for target molecules. AuNRs nanostructured films were efficiently employed to form SERS substrates. The independent random AuNR organization in the SERS spectra exhibits a characteristic profile of intensities due to different dielectric environmental conditions. Despite the variations observed in the spectra array, a pattern was recognized by statistical analysis. Multidimensional analysis ensured the distinction of the study’s requirements applied to the SERS response, exhibiting a silhouette coefficient of 0.92 with the least-squares projection technique. Changes in the SERS spectra profile from wet to dry state conditions of R6G dye solution can be interpreted as the dynamic behavior of R6G molecules correlated to distinct molecular adsorption and (or) surface distribution of the R6G molecules proving different plasmonic resonances. Simulations obtained from BEM calculation in experimental data corroborate that the SERS enhancement is strongly dependent on the nanoparticle coupling in nanoscale and the dielectric environment.