Amine-Silane-Induced Ag-Cu Dendrites on Al/ZnO: An Integrated SERS Monitoring and Photodegradation Platform for Triphenylmethane Dyes

Abstract

This work addresses a critical challenge in water remediation: the effective management of trace-level, carcinogenic triphenylmethane dyes. We present a novel and recyclable Al/ZnOA/Ag-Cu substrate, ingeniously constructed using 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) as a bifunctional molecular bridge. This design is pivotal, as the incorporated APTES not only orchestrates the growth of hyperbranched Ag-Cu dendrites but also establishes a robust covalent interface that dramatically enhances charge transfer between the Al/ZnO support and the metallic nanostructures.The resulting multifunctional platform demonstrates breakthrough performance:Unprecedented Sensitivity: The substrate achieves not only an ultra-low detection limit of 9.83 × 10 -18 mol•L -1 for brilliant green in controlled experiments, but also demonstrates robust detection in complex fish extracts. This remarkable performance, coupled with a high enhancement factor of 4.08 × 10 7 , is underpinned by FDTD simulations revealing intense electromagnetic "hot spots" at the dendritic nanogaps.