Application of gold and silver colloidal nanoparticles for the surface-enhanced Raman spectrometric analysis of melamine and 4-aminobiphenyl
by Ngee Sing Chong; Katrina A. Smith; Sunil Setti; Beng Guat Ooi
International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management (IJETM), Vol. 16, No. 1/2, 2013

Abstract: Colloidal nanoparticles of gold and silver were used in Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) analysis of melamine and 4-aminobiphenyl. Gold colloids allowed the SERS detection of melamine at levels below 0.1 μg/L using a previously unreported SERS peak at 275 cm⁻¹ and yielded better detection limits compared to silver colloids. For 4-aminobiphenyl, the detection limits were found to be similar for both colloids at 0.05-0.1 mg/L. Analysis by transmission electron microscopy showed that the morphology of both Ag and Au nanoparticles were uniformly spherical with average diameters that were 69.3 ± 23.1 nm and 41.6 ± 19.1 nm, respectively. The SERS spectral intensities of both compounds were found to increase as the sample pH increased. The optimal signals were obtained at pH = 8.5 for 4-aminobiphenyl and pH = 11.5 for melamine. The enhancement factors for the determination of melamine are in range of 3.5 × 10⁴-6.3 × 10⁴ for the silver colloid and 5.2 × 10⁷-2.1 × 10⁹ for the gold colloid.

Online publication date: Wed, 17-Sep-2014

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