Evaluation of surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection using a handheld and a bench-top Raman spectrometer: A comparative study

Jinkai Zheng, Shintaro Pang, Theodore P. Labuza, Lili He

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

25 Scopus citations

Abstract

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection using a handheld Raman spectrometer and a bench-top Raman spectrometer was systemically evaluated and compared in this study. Silver dendrites were used as the SERS substrate, and two pesticides, maneb and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate-ammonium salt (PDCA) were used as the analytes. Capacity and performance were evaluated based on spectral resolution, signal variation, quantitative capacity, sensitivity, flexibility and intelligence for SERS detection. The results showed that the handheld Raman spectrometer had better data consistency, more accurate quantification capacity, as well as the capacity of on-site and intelligence for qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis. On the other hand, the bench-top Raman spectrometer showed about 10 times higher sensitivity, as well as flexibility for optimization of the SERS measurements under different parameters such as laser power output, collect time, and objective magnification. The study on the optimization of SERS measurements on a bench-top spectrometer provides a useful guide for designing a handheld Raman spectrometer, specifically for SERS detection. This evaluation can potentially greatly advance the application of a handheld Raman spectrometer for the on-site measurement of trace amounts of pesticides or other chemicals.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)79-85
Number of pages7
JournalTalanta
Volume129
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1 2014

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Program of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA-AFRI, grant No.: 2012-67017-30194).

Funding Information:
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Program of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA-AFRI , Grant no.: 2012-67017-30194 ).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 Elsevier B.V.

Keywords

  • Bench-top
  • Handheld
  • On-site detection
  • Pesticides
  • Raman
  • SERS

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Evaluation of surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection using a handheld and a bench-top Raman spectrometer: A comparative study'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this