Label-free Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy for Water Pollutant Analysis

Abstract

Monitoring environmental pollutants in drinking water supplies is vitally important for public health. Unfortunately, current technologies that are commonly adopted for waterborne pollutant analysis are expensive and time consuming. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) provides an inexpensive and fast way for water pollutant detection owing to the extraordinary optical properties of plasmonic nanoparticles. This book chapter is focused on label-free SERS, i.e., collecting Raman spectra directly from the targeted water pollutants. Following an overview of the principles, basic paradigms, and substrates of SERS, examples of label-free SERS detection of waterborne pollutants, including organic micropollutants, biotoxins, and pathogens, will be discussed in detail. In this book chapter, we will also talk about the challenges that label-free SERS sensors are facing for the sensitive, reproducible, and quantitative analysis of water pollutants.