Issue 2, 2015

Plasmonic colorimetric and SERS sensors for environmental analysis

Abstract

The potential for water pollution outbreaks requires the development of rapid, yet simple detection methods for water quality monitoring. Plasmonic nanostructures such as gold (AuNPs) and silver (AgNPs) nanoparticles are compelling candidates for the development of highly sensitive biosensors due to their unique localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs). The LSPR of AuNPs and AgNPs lies in the visible and infrared light range and is sensitive to the composition, size, shape, surrounding medium, and aggregation state of these NPs. This plasmonic behavior provides the basis for fabrication of colorimetric sensors for environmental analyses. Furthermore, the LSPR also enhances the electromagnetic field near the NP surface, which provides the basis for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based detection. Organic or inorganic pollutants and pathogens can be detected and differentiated based upon the finger-print spectra that arise when they enter SERS-active hot spots. In this tutorial review, we summarize progress made towards environmental analysis based on LSPR-based colorimetric and SERS detection. The problems and challenges that have hindered the development of LSPR-based nanosensors for real-world environmental pollutant monitoring are extensively discussed.

Graphical abstract: Plasmonic colorimetric and SERS sensors for environmental analysis

Article information

Article type
Tutorial Review
Submitted
22 Dec 2014
Accepted
09 Mar 2015
First published
10 Mar 2015
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2015,2, 120-135

Plasmonic colorimetric and SERS sensors for environmental analysis

H. Wei, S. M. Hossein Abtahi and P. J. Vikesland, Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2015, 2, 120 DOI: 10.1039/C4EN00211C

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