Au nanoparticle-engineered Ti3C2Tx MXenes as a high-performance SERS platform for detection of organic pollutants

Abstract

The detection of organic pollutants at ultra-low concentrations is crucial for environmental monitoring, yet existing surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) platforms often suffer from limited sensitivity, poor stability, and inconsistent signal reproducibility. To address these challenges, this study presents a high-performance SERS platform based on in situ gold (Au) nanoparticle-engineered Ti3C2Tx MXenes. This novel approach enhances signal amplification and ensures long-term stability for pollutant detection. The platform achieves an exceptional limit of detection (LOD) of 10-11 M with an enhancement factor of 1010 for Methylene Blue (MB), demonstrating its superior sensitivity. Additionally, signal repeatability has been validated by calculating the relative standard deviation (RSD), and the SERS substrate retains 83% of its signal intensity after 5 months of storage, confirming its durability. Furthermore, the platform effectively detects polybrominated diphenyl ether (BDE-47), a persistent organic pollutant, at concentrations below the regulatory threshold of 10-6 M. These results highlight the potential of the proposed SERS platform for reliable and long-term environmental monitoring of hazardous substances.