A Concave Nanogap for Ultrasensitive Aptamer-Based SERS Detection and <i>In Situ</i> Imaging of Heavy Metal Ions.

ABSTRACT: Heavy metal pollution can lead to irreversible damage to human health. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) platforms are versatile for toxicity monitoring and in situ imaging, but they are often limited by false positives. In this study, we proposed the use of concave-facet nanocubes (CF NCs) to create sufficiently large nanogaps, which can be used for the deposition of probes such as aptamers. Aptamers adopt an extended configuration within these nanogaps, effectively preventing compression-induced false signals. By utilizing the robust electromagnetic field present within the nanogaps, the developed SERS platform has demonstrated a broad detection range of 0.1 to 1000 nM for Hg²⁺ and a limit of detection as low as 0.1 nM. This platform was further applied to the an

SUBMITTER: Wang T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12573227 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature