title: Use of a fractal-like gold nanostructure in surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy for detection of selected food contaminants.
abstract: The safety of imported seafood products because of the contamination of prohibited substances, including crystal violet (CV) and malachite green (MG), raised a great deal of concern in the United States. In this study, a fractal-like gold nanostructure was developed through a self-assembly process and the feasibility of using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) coupled with this nanostructure for detection of CV, MG, and their mixture (1:1) was explored. SERS was capable of characterizing and differentiating CV, MG, and their mixture on fractal-like gold nanostructures quickly and accurately. The enhancement factor of the gold nanostructures could reach an impressive level of approximately 4 x 10(7), and the lowest detectable concentration for the dye molecules was at approximately 0.2 ppb level. These results indicate that SERS coupled with fractal-like gold nanostructures holds a great potential as a rapid and ultra-sensitive method for detecting trace amounts of prohibited substances in contaminated food samples.
authors.affiliation: Food Science Program, Division of Food Systems and Bioengineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, USA.
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Nam-Jung
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhiqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Mengshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005840:Gentian Violet / Q000032:analysis*; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes / Q000032:analysis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; C005095:malachite green; D006046:Gold; D005840:Gentian Violet