title: Low-Cost, Disposable, Flexible and Highly Reproducible Screen Printed SERS Substrates for the Detection of Various Chemicals.
abstract: Ideal SERS substrates for sensing applications should exhibit strong signal enhancement, generate a reproducible and uniform response, and should be able to fabricate in large-scale and low-cost. Herein, we demonstrate low-cost, highly sensitive, disposable and reproducible SERS substrates by means of screen printing Ag nanoparticles (NPs) on a plastic PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) substrates. While there are many complex methods for the fabrication of SERS substrates, screen printing is suitable for large-area fabrication and overcomes the uneven radial distribution. Using as-printed Ag substrates as the SERS platform, detection of various commonly known chemicals have been done. The SERS detection limit of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) is higher than the concentration of 1 × 10(-10) M. The relative standard deviation (RSD) value for 784 points on the detection of R6G and Malachite green (MG) is less than 20% revealing a homogeneous SERS distribution and high reproducibility. Moreover, melamine (MA) is detected in fresh liquid-milk without additional pretreatment, which may accelerate the application of rapid on-line detection of MA in liquid milk. Our screen printing method highlights the use of large-scale printing strategies for the fabrication of well-defined functional nanostructures with applications well beyond the field of SERS sensing.
authors.affiliation: 1] Laboratory of Printable Functional Nanomaterials and Printed Electronics, School of Printing and Packaging, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China [2] Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Printable Functional Nanomaterials and Printed Electronics, School of Printing and Packaging, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-structures of Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Zhigao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Printable Functional Nanomaterials and Printed Electronics, School of Printing and Packaging, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Juhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha 410083, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Shuanglei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-structures of Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xiangheng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-structures of Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Changzhong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Vellaisamy A L
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Roy
mesh_terms: D002863:Chromogenic Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D057230:Limit of Detection; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates / Q000737:chemistry; D011327:Printing / Q000379:methods*; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000379:methods*; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D002863:Chromogenic Compounds; D003287:Contrast Media; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; D012834:Silver