Highly Sensitive Silver Nanorod Arrays for Rapid Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering Detection of Acetamiprid Pesticides

The determination of pesticide residue on agricultural products is increasingly important. Exposure to pesticides can cause severe acute reactions in humans, including aplastic anemia and leukemia. In this work, we developed a rapid and sensitive method to detect acetamiprid pesticide residue based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering. Silver nanorod (AgNR) arrays were fabricated by oblique angle deposition technology and were used as SERS substrates. Prior to detection, the AgNR arrays were cleaned with nitric acid solution or a mixture of methanol and acetone. Compared to the unwashed AgNR arrays, the AgNR arrays washed with methanol and acetone shows a signal enhancement 1000 times greater than the unwashed AgNR array due to the effective removal of the impurities on its surface. The limit of detection of acetamiprid was determined to be 0.05 mg/L. In addition, the molecular structure of acetamiprid was simulated and the corresponding vibration modes of the characteristic bands of acetamiprid were calc...