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[Display omitted] • The β-CD-AgNPs substrate can selectively combine with NFX. And the proposed method can be applied in the detection of real milk samples. • The "host–guest" interaction of NFX and β-CD-AgNPs was verified by the UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, Zeta potential and DLS. • This developed SERS method is simple and sensitive, the LOD of NFX was 3.214 pmol/L in standard solution and 5.327 nmol/L in milk. The norfloxacin (NFX) residue in milk will increase human resistance to drugs and pose a threat to public health. In this work, a highly sensitive method for detection of NFX was developed based on surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) using β-cyclodextrin functionalized silver nanoparticles (β-CD-AgNPs) as substrate. The unique spatial size and hydrophilicity of β-CD on the surface of AgNPs could selectively capture the target molecule (NFX) through some weak interactions, including hydrogen-bond interaction, electrostatic interaction, etc. The interactions were characterized by the UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, Zeta potential and DLS. The Raman signal of NFX is largely enhanced when anchored by β-CD on the surface of AgNPs due to SERS effect. Through a series of experiments and analysis, the limit of detection (LOD) in standard solution and spiked milk were calculated to be 3.214 pmol/L and 5.327 nmol/L. The correlation coefficients (R2) were 0.986 and 0.984, respectively. For milk sample determination of NFX, the recovery was 101.29% to 104.00% with the relative standard deviation (RSD) from 2.986% to 9.136%. To sum up, this developed SERS strategy is sensitive and specific to detect NFX in milk, it has practical application value and prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • This is the first time that carbon dots have been synthesized using ammonium citrate and glutamic acid as precursors. • The fluorescence stability of carbon dots is fully explored, facilitating their use in real-world environments. • This method achieves high selectivity and sensitivity in the trace detection range. • Monitoring Cd2+ ions in tap water and lake water. In this study, fluorescent carbon dots were synthesized for the first time using ammonium citrate and glutamic acid as precursors via a one-pot hydrothermal method. The synthesized carbon dots emit blue fluorescence at 436 nm (excited at 320 nm) and demonstrate excellent photobleaching resistance and fluorescence stability in high salt environments. Within the range of 1–25 μM, the fluorescence of CDs gradually increases with the increasing concentration of Cd2+, reaching a limit of detection as low as 13 nM. This phenomenon could be ascribed to the chelation-enhanced fluorescence, a result of Cd2+ forming complexes with the abundant surface functional groups such as CN–, –COOH, –OH, –NH 2 in CDs. Furthermore, this turn-on fluorescent probe has been successfully used for the detection of Cd2+ in tap water and lake water, providing an efficient and sensitive method for the analysis of environmental metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • COF (covalent-organic framework) capped with sliver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were first developed as SERS substrate for detection of benzoic acid in liquid milk. • This detection method has high sensitivity and reliability that allows us to achieve LOD of 0.13μg/mL in milk and 0.00372μg/mL in water. • The proposed method can be applied in the detection of real milk samples. Benzoic acid, which has a pivotal role in food additive, is prohibited to add as a preservative in dairy products. China, Brazil, and other countries have proposed standard methods to detect the addition of benzoic acid in food. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is an upcoming spectral detection technique, which has been widely used in the field of material analysis with the advantages of non-invasive, fast detection speed and complex environment with little interference. To detect the illegal use of benzoic acid in dairy industry, we developed Ag-COF (covalent-organic framework) material as SERS substrate to detect benzoic acid in liquid milk. The great enhancement ability of Ag-COF substrate is controlled by the addition of acetic acid and complex interplay between COF material and benzoic acid. This detection method has high sensitivity and reliability that allows us to achieve limit of detection (LOD) of 0.13 μg/mL in milk and 0.00372 μg/mL in water by applying this method. In experiment on recovery rate of real samples, the detection time is less than 15 minutes and the relative standard deviation (RSD) ranged from 2.82% to 5.69%. Therefore, this method has practical significance of the detection of benzoic acid in dairy products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • This paper presents a sensitive and label-free SERS method that requires no pre-derivatization and adjustment of pH for L-Hyp detection. • The mechanism of this work provides inspiration for detecting molecules with small Raman cross-section. • The proposed SERS method has a low LOD of 8.18 ng/mL in aqueous solution and 0.13 μg/mL in milk. The detection of non-protein nitrogen adulterants is a major challenge in dairy testing. As a marker molecule of animal hydrolyzed protein, the presence of non-edible L-hydroxyproline (L-Hyp) molecules can be used to identify low-quality milk containing components of animal hydrolyzed protein. However, it is still difficult to detect L-Hyp directly in milk. The Ag@COF-COOH substrate in this paper can be used to realize label-free L-Hyp sensitive detection based on the hydrogen bond transition mechanism. To explore the mechanism, the binding sites of hydrogen bond interaction have been verified experimentally and computationally, and the charge transfer process was also explained in terms of HOMO/LOMO energy level. In conclusion, the quantitative models for L-Hyp in an aqueous environment and in milk were developed. The limit of detection (LOD) of L-Hyp in an aqueous environment could reach 8.18 ng/mL, with R2 of 0.982. The linear range of quantitative detection in milk was 0.5–1000 μg/mL and the LOD was as low as 0.13 μg/mL. In this work, a hydrogen bond interaction based Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) method for the label-free detection of L-Hyp was proposed, which complemented the application of SERS technology in the detection of dairy products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • This is the first time that carbon dots were synthesized using cysteine and ethylenediamine as precursors. The synthesis method is green and simple, and the prepared N -CDs have good fluorescence stability. • The developed experimental conditions for the detection of Fe3+ using nitrogen-doped carbon dots as fluorescent probes have been fully optimized to significantly improve the sensitivity. • The method is simple, sensitive and highly feasible, with LOD as low as 0.069 μM in deionized water. And, linear models were also constructed in tap water and lake water with LOD of 0.21 μM and 0.59 μM, respectively. In this study, we synthesized stable nitrogen-doped carbon dots by a simple and economical one-step hydrothermal method using l -cysteine and anhydrous ethylenediamine as precursors. The prepared carbon dots have bright and stable blue light emission near 383 nm and can be used as fluorescent probes to detect the concentration of Fe3+ in environmental waters. It was demonstrated that due to intermolecular electrostatic interaction, a non-fluorescent complex N -CDs/Fe3+ is formed by coordination of Fe3+ with amino and carboxyl functional groups on the surface of carbon dots. Therefore, in combination with internal filtration effect, the fluorescence of carbon dots can be quenched in the presence of Fe3+, and the degree of quenching is linearly related to the concentration of Fe3+. The limit of detection in deionized water was as low as 0.069 μM with R2 of 0.998 and a linear range of 0.3 to 20 μM. In addition, satisfactory recoveries were achieved for the determination of Fe3+ in environmental water samples. The method is reliable, with highly sensitivity and selectivity, and has potential for practical applications in environmental metal analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The AgNPs-4MPBA composite structure was first designed as SERS substrate for detection of fructose in urine. • This method achieve the LOD of fructose to be 0.535 µmol/L in urine. • This method realizes rapid fructose detection in less than 10 min. The accurate detection of fructose in human urine can help prevent and screen for diseases such as fructokinase deficiency and hereditary fructose intolerance. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an analytical technique with selectivity and high sensitivity, which has been widely applied to the detection of targets with complex backgrounds. In this work, 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid (4-MPBA) was modified on the surface of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) under mild conditions to obtain a boronic acid-functionalized SERS substrate for the detection of fructose in artificial urine. The detection mechanism was based on the deboronization reaction of 4-MPBA on the surface of AgNPs, which was induced by fructose, and the Raman signal of the generated thiophenol (TP) molecules was significantly enhanced by the silver nanoparticles, with a linear increase in SERS peak intensity at 1570 cm−1. We achieved the detection limits of 0.084 µmol/L in water and 0.535 µmol/L in urine by this method. The relative standard deviation (RSD) in the recovery experiments of urine ranged from 1.01 % to 2.22 %, and the whole detection time was less than 10 min, which indicated that this method is highly reliable for fructose detection and has a good prospect in bioassay and clinical medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Carbon nanodots (CNDs) were synthesized through a facile microwave method. • The fluorescence of CNDs was selectively quenched by gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). • Once introduced, thiourea triggered the reversion of quenched fluorescence. • Effective applications in environmental water and compound fruit-vegetable juice. Illegal abuse results in the presence of thiourea (TU) in soil, wastewater, and even fruits, which is harmful for the environment and human health. It has urgent practical significance to design an efficient and reliable probe for TU detection. Herein, a sensitive fluorescent probe with off–on response for harmful TU was reported. The probe was designed with fluorescent carbon nanodots (CNDs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) effect. Firstly, the CNDs were pre-combined with AuNPs and the fluorescence of CNDs was quenched due to the FRET effect. Upon addition of TU, the fluorescence of CNDs recovered due to the unbinding of CNDs and AuNPs, since the coordination interaction between TU and AuNPs is stronger than the electrostatic interaction among CNDs and AuNPs. Under the optimum parameters, a linear relationship was found between the relative fluorescence intensity of the probe and the concentration of TU in the range of 5.00 × 10-8-1.00 × 10-6 M (R2 = 0.9958), with the limit of detection (LOD) calculated to be 3.62 × 10-8 M. This proposed method is easy to operate and has excellent selectivity and sensitivity for TU, which can be effectively applied in environmental water and compound fruit-vegetable juice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]