Detection of Silver Nanoparticles in Seawater Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering
Open Access
- 29 June 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by MDPI AG in Nanomaterials
- Vol. 11 (7), 1711
- https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11071711
Abstract
Nanomaterials significantly contribute to the development of new solutions to improve consumer products properties. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are one of the most used, and as human exposure to such NPs increases, there is a growing need for analytical methods to identify and quantify nanoparticles present in the environment. Here we designed a detection strategy for AgNPs in seawater using surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS). Three commercial AgNPs coated with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were used to determine the relative impact of size (PVP-15nmAgNPs and PVP-100nmAgNPs) and aggregation degree (predefined Ag aggregates, PVP-50–80nmAgNPs) on the SERS-based detection method. The study of colloidal stability and dissolution of selected AgNPs into seawater was carried out by dynamic light scattering and UV-vis spectroscopy. We showed that PVP-15nmAgNPs and PVP-100nmAgNPs remained colloidally stable, while PVP-50–80nmAgNPs formed bigger aggregates. We demonstrated that the SERS-based method developed here have the capacity to detect and quantify single and aggregates of AgNPs in seawater. The size had almost no effect on the detection limit (2.15 ± 1.22 mg/L for PVP-15nmAgNPs vs. 1.51 ± 0.71 mg/L for PVP-100nmAgNPs), while aggregation caused an increase of 2.9-fold (6.08 ± 1.21 mg/L). Our results demonstrate the importance of understanding NPs transformation in seawater since this can influence the detection method performance.Keywords
Funding Information
- Interreg (EAPA_590/2018, 1843)
This publication has 56 references indexed in Scilit:
- Recent Developments in Home Sleep-Monitoring DevicesISRN Neurology, 2012
- Stability of Citrate, PVP, and PEG Coated Silver Nanoparticles in Ecotoxicology MediaEnvironmental Science & Technology, 2012
- Detecting single viruses and nanoparticles using whispering gallery microlasersNature Nanotechnology, 2011
- Determination of Trace Silver in Water Samples by Online Column Preconcentration Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry Using Termite Digestion ProductJournal of Analytical Methods in Chemistry, 2011
- Understanding the SERS Effects of Single Silver Nanoparticles and Their Dimers, One at a TimeThe Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 2010
- The Behavior of Silver Nanotextiles during WashingEnvironmental Science & Technology, 2009
- Cloud Point Extraction as an Advantageous Preconcentration Approach for Analysis of Trace Silver Nanoparticles in Environmental WatersAnalytical Chemistry, 2009
- Ethylene Glycol Toxicity: Chemistry, Pathogenesis, and ImagingRadiology Case Reports, 2008
- Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering-Based Nanoprobe for High-Resolution, Non-Scanning Chemical ImagingAnalytical Chemistry, 2006
- Charge Transfer between Metal Nanoparticles Interconnected with a Functionalized Molecule Probed by Surface‐Enhanced Raman SpectroscopyAngewandte Chemie-International Edition, 2006