Na₂SO₄-induced aggregation of AgNPs/GO for SERS detection of methylene blue in river water and acetamiprid on cucumber peels.

Authors

Xujie Peng, Huanting Li, Sha Cheng, Lijun Sun, Yanhua Lei

Published in

Analytical methods : advancing methods and applications. Sep 17, 2026. Epub Sep 17, 2026.

Abstract

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has emerged as a powerful tool for rapid contaminant detection; nevertheless, challenges remain regarding its high-sensitivity detection capacity and universal applicability toward pollutants in complex matrices. Herein, we report a facile strategy based on silver nanoparticle/graphene oxide (AgNPs/GO) composites combined with Na₂SO₄-induced aggregation for the sensitive detection of methylene blue, fenthion and acetamiprid. The AgNPs/GO hybrid material was synthesized via a chemical reduction method, where graphene oxide acts as a supporting substrate to disperse AgNPs and captures target analytes through π-π stacking and hydrophobic interactions. Systematic screening of inorganic salts identified 1 M Na₂SO₄ as the optimal aggregating agent, which triggers controlled aggregation of AgNPs to generate abundant SERS hot spots. Under optimized experimental conditions, acetamiprid displayed well-fitted linear relationships between peak intensity and concentration (R² > 0.92) for the characteristic peaks at 632, 830 and 1110 cm^-1 within the concentration range of 5 × 10^-4 to 7.5 × 10^-3 mg mL^-1, with the enhancement factor (EF) reaching as high as 9.6 × 10⁴. The practical applicability of this sensing platform was verified by detecting methylene blue in river water and acetamiprid residues on cucumber peels, with limits of detection (LODs) calculated to be 9 × 10^-6 mg mL^-1 and 4.33 × 10^-4 mg mL^-1, respectively. This sensing platform exhibits excellent anti-interference capability against natural organic matter as well as matrix interference from the rough cucumber peel surface. This AgNPs/GO + Na₂SO₄ SERS sensing strategy offers a rapid and convenient alternative for on-site screening of residues in environmental and agricultural products.

PMID:
42750592
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 17 Sep 2026.

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