In Situ Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Detection of Uranyl Ions with Silver Nanorod-Decorated Tape

Abstract

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has been utilized for rapid analysis of uranyl ions (UO 2 2+ ) on account of its fast response and high sensitivity. However, the difficulty of fabricating a suitable SERS substrate for in situ analysis of uranyl ions severely restricts its practical application. Hence, we proposed flexible and adhesive SERS tape decorated with silver nanorod (AgNR) arrays for in situ detection of UO 2 2+ . The SERS tape was fabricated through a simple “paste & peel off” procedure by transferring the slanted AgNR arrays from silicon to the transparent tape surface. UO 2 2+ can be easily in situ detected by placing the AgNR SERS tape into an aqueous solution or pasting it onto the solid matrix surface due to the excellent transparent feature of the tape. The proposed SERS tape with well-distributed AgNRs effectively improved the reproducibility and sensitivity for UO 2 2+ analysis. UO 2 2+ with concentration as low as 100 nM was easily detected. Besides, UO 2 2+ adsorbed on an iron disc and rock surface also can be rapidly in situ detected. With its simplicity and convenience, the AgNR SERS tape-based SERS technique offers a promising approach for environmental monitoring and nuclear accident emergency detection.

Towards practical and sustainable SERS: a review of recent developments in the construction of multifunctional enhancing substrates

“…Importantly, this work pioneered the concept of using sticky SERS tapes for rapid analyte extraction and detection on complex surfaces which has led to an outburst of research based on this approach. 81,85,86 A major advantage that comes with the colloidal deposition approach is that it can be generally used to create flexible SERS substrates from colloidal nanoparticles with tailored morphologies, which for example include Ag/Au nanorods, 87,88 Au bipyramids, 89 Ag/Au nanoprisms, 79,90 Au@Ag nanospheres, 91 etc, and therefore improved plasmonic properties. Moreover, the plasmonic nanomaterials can be combined with other materials, such as semiconductors or carbonaceous materials to create SERS tapes carrying hybrid nanomaterials with enhanced functionalities.…”

Adhesive tapes: From daily necessities to flexible smart electronics

“…6(a)]. [158][159][160][161] The adhesive force (or surface energy) differences between various interfaces are the prerequisite for successful transfer printing: the adhesive force between target materials and adhesive tapes should be stronger than that between target materials and donor substrates, while weaker than that between target materials and receive substrate. According to the transfer times, transfer printing can be categorized into three types: single transfer printing (STP), double transfer printing (DTP), and multiple transfer printing (MTP).…”

“…Therefore, the functionalized SERS adhesive tapes provide direct extraction of analytes from the target objects without the assistance of organic solvent to wet the objective surfaces and maintain high SERS activity. 159,185 Chen et al proposed a SERS tape that was fabricated by carefully and repeatedly dropping Au NPs solutions onto the sticky side of the adhesive tape until uniform SERS active substrate yielded. 114 As a result, the SERS tapes enabled adhesively extracting pesticides (parathion-methyl) from diverse fruit and vegetable peels, including green vegetables, cucumbers, oranges, and apples [Fig.…”

DNAzyme recognition triggered cascade signal amplification for rapid and highly sensitive visual detection of uranyl ions

“…4 Thus, it is of great significance to monitor uranyl ion (UO 2 2+ ) levels in environmental water. Currently, although extensive techniques including atomic emission spectrometry, 5 X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, 6 mass spectrometry 7,8 and Raman spectroscopy 9,10 have been applied in uranium analysis, there is an urgent need to construct more convenient, inexpensive and simple on-site assays for environmental monitoring, without the requirement for laborious operation and sophisticated and expensive instruments.…”