Potential powered EC-SERS for sensitive detection of acetamiprid

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful tool for rapid and sensitive detection of pesticide residues in food, and the applied potential regulated SERS technique can be endowed with a higher sensitivity. In this work, we developed an electrochemical-surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (EC-SERS) sensor for the rapid detection of acetamiprid (AAP) in vegetables. AuNPs/ITO were prepared via in-situ electrodeposition of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on an indium tin oxide (ITO) both as a SERS substrate and working electrode. By adding AAP into an in-situ Raman electrolytic cell with an applied electrochemical potential (+0.3 V), the SERS intensity was enhanced by 4-fold and the characteristic signal was linearly related to the concentration of AAP. Under the optimal conditions, the EC-SERS method exhibited a linear detection range from 0.05 to 50 μM, with a limit of detection (LOD, 3S/M) of 0.02 μM. Simultaneously, based on density functional theory (DFT), the adsorption characteristics of AAP on AuNPs/ITO were studied in the presence of electric field. The method was finally confirmed by HPLC-MS for the detection of real samples, revealing its potential application in food safety.