We developed an optofluidic surface-enhanced Raman scattering
chip
capable of online fabrication, online molecular detection, and online
self-cleaning. In this chip, we harnessed UV light to successfully
reduce an AgNO3 solution, resulting in the formation of
Ag nanoparticles on carbon fiber cloth coated with titanium dioxide
(TiO2). This innovative approach enabled the online fabrication
of AgNPs@TiO2–CFC SERS structures. By introducing
target molecules into our optofluidic SERS chip, we achieved online
molecular Raman detection. Furthermore, by leveraging the UV light-induced
self-cleaning properties of TiO2, we achieved continuous
online self-cleaning of the molecules. To verify the feasibility and
stability of our method, we conducted multiple experiments for online
detection and self-cleaning. Experimental results demonstrated impressively
low detection limits of 10–8 mol/L for crystal violet
and 10–9 mol/L for rhodamine 6G, with an enhancement
factor as high as 1.4 × 106. Additionally, we successfully
applied our method to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons like pyrene.