Fibers covered with 3D interconnected network of Au nanostructures and their application in SERS detection

A simple template-free method was developed for the fabrication of fibers whose surfaces were covered by a three-dimensional interconnected network of Au nanostructures (3D-NW AuNSs) without additional stabilizer. The EDS and XPS measurements confirmed the metallic nature of the formed 3D gold nanowire networks on the fiber surface. The morphology of these 3D-NW AuNSs can be controlled by the experimental parameters, such as reaction time, roughness of the glass fiber surface, HAuCl₄, and sodium citrate concentration. The 3D gold nanowire networks showed excellent uniformity. Additionally, the nanofiber was used to accurately and reliably detect methyl red (MR), crystal violet (CV), and acridine orange (AO), which can be detected as low as 1, 10, and 5 μg/L, respectively. Since the proposed strategy is simple, cost-effective, and reproducible for the mass production of network-like gold film–covered nanofiber, it is expected to play an important role in the development of trace analytical devices.