Silver microspheres coated with a molecularly imprinted polymer as a SERS substrate for sensitive detection of bisphenol A

Xiaohui Ren, Emily C. Cheshari, Jingyao Qi, Xin Li

Index: 10.1007/s00604-018-2772-z

Full Text: HTML

Abstract

An efficient approach is demonstrated for preparing particles consisting of a silver core and a shell of molecularly imprinted polymer (Ag@MIP). The MIP is prepared by using bisphenol A (BPA) as the template and 4-vinylpyridine as the functional monomer. The Ag@MIP fulfills a dual function in that the silver core acts as a SERS substrate, while the MIP allows for selective recognition of BPA. The Ag@MIP is characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and Raman spectroscopy. The Raman intensity of Ag@MIP is higher than that of bare silver microspheres. The detection limit for BPA is as low as 10−9 mol·L−1.