Fabrication process and characterization of AgNPs/PVA/cellulose as a SERS platform for in-situ detection of residual pesticides in fruit

Abstract

In this work, AgNPs/PVA/Cellulose was used as a substrate material for surface Raman scattering enhancement. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was synthesized by Lee and Meisel's method with the average particles size of 15.4 nm. Then, this silver colloid was made a homogenous coating on polyvinyl alcohol and cellulose film and structural characteristics of this material were determined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The findings demonstrated that the Raman shifts of the pesticide will be identified by the SERS method at 1660 cm-1, 2234 cm-1 (strong intensity), and at 3077 cm-1, 1033 cm-1, 1457 cm-1 (medium intensity) when using the excited laser with wavelength of 532 nm. Under excited laser, the limit of chlorfenapyr detection is 1 ppm (mg l-1), allowing determination of chlorfenapyr residue in food. Potential applications identified food samples containing chlorfenapyr residue for rapid detection, low cost, non-destructive nature and minimal sample preparation.