Ultrasensitive SERS Substrate Integrated with Uniform Subnanometer Scale “Hot Spots” Created by a Graphene Spacer for the Detection of Mercury Ions |
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| Authors: | Xingang Zhang Zhigao Dai Shuyao Si Xiaolei Zhang Wei Wu Hongbing Deng Fubing Wang Xiangheng Xiao Changzhong Jiang |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Physics and Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro‐ and Nano‐structures of Ministry of Education, Hubei Nuclear Solid Physics Key Laboratory and Center for Ion Beam Application, Wuhan University, Wuhan, P. R. China;2. Laboratory of Printable Functional Nanomaterials and Printed Electronics, School of Printing and Packaging, Wuhan University, Wuhan, P. R. China;3. School of Resource and Environmental Science and Hubei Biomass‐Resource Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology Key Laboratory, Wuhan University, Wuhan, P. R. China;4. Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine and Center for Gene Diagnosis, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, P. R. China |
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| Abstract: | Mercuric ion (Hg2+) is one of the most toxic and serious environment polluting heavy metal ions, which can be accumulated in human body through food chains and drinking water, and causes serious damage to human organs. Therefore, development of the efficient and sensitive method for detection of Hg2+ is very necessary. In this study, the high surface sensitivity and fingerprint information about the chemical structures based on surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for sensing applications are taken advantage of. Au triangular nanoarrays/n‐layer graphene/Au nanoparticles sandwich structure with large‐area uniform subnanometer gaps are fabricated and used to detect Hg2+ in water via thymine–Hg2+–thymine coordination; the detection limit of Hg2+ is as low as 8.3 × 10?9m . Moreover, this SERS substrate is used to detect the Hg2+‐contaminated sandy soil and shows excellent performance. This study indicates the sandwich structure has a great potential in detection of toxic metal ions and environmental pollutants. |
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| Keywords: | Au triangular nanoarrays graphene contaminated sandy soil subnanometer gaps mercuric contamination |
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