Highly uniform and optical visualization of SERS substrate for pesticide analysis based on Au nanoparticles grafted on dendritic α-Fe2O3.

Here, Au nanoparticles (NPs) grafted on dendritic α-Fe2O3 (NPGDF) are designed as a highly uniform surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate with a feature of optical visualization by an optical microscope (OM) system and used for in situ detection of pesticide residues that are annually used in agriculture. With this strategy, the dendritic α-Fe2O3 has been synthesized by a hydrothermal method and significantly functionalized by an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) apparatus and then Au NPs were grafted on it densely and uniformly. In addition, the profile of NPGDF can be clearly observed using an OM platform of a Raman spectrometer, and the profile of SERS spectral mapping with NPGDF as substrate almost exactly coincides with the OM image, the electron microscope (EM) image and the elemental mapping of NPGDF, which indicates remarkable uniformity of the NPGDF as SERS substrate, thus ensuring the laser beam focuses on the efficient sites of the substrate under the OM platform. Moreover, NPGDF can be dispersed in the liquor and the NPGDF microparticles can be adsorbed on the target surface. Therefore, it can be used for in situ detection of pesticide residues on tea leaves, fruits etc., with high sensitivity and reproducibility.