Tailoring polythiophene nanocomposites with MnS/CoS nanoparticles for enhanced SERS detection of mercury ions in water

The excessive emission of heavy metal ions from industrial processes poses a serious threat to both the environment and human health. This study presents a novel approach using PTh-MnS/CoS NPs for the selective and sensitive detection of Hg²⁺ ions in water. Such detection is crucial for safeguarding human health, protecting the environment, and assessing toxicity. The fabrication method employs a simple and efficient chemical precipitation technique, combining polythiophene, MnS, and CoS NPs to create active substrates for SERS. The MnS@Hg²⁺ exhibits a distinct Raman shift at 938 cm⁻¹, enabling specific identification and showing the highest responsiveness among the studied semiconductor substrates with a detection limit of only 1 nM. This investigation shows reliable and practical SERS detection for mercury ions. The RSD ranged from 0.49 % to 9.8 %, and recovery rates varied from 96 % to 102 %, showing selective adsorption of Hg²⁺ ions on the synthesized substrate.