Surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensor based on cysteine-mediated nucleophilic addition reaction for detection of patulin

• Published in: Microchemical journal Vol. 204; p. 111021
• Main Authors: Ma, Lixin, Xu, Qian, Yin, Limei, Zou, Caixia, Wu, Wei, Wang, Chen, Zhou, Ruiyun, Guo, Zhiming, Cai, Jianrong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.09.2024
• Subjects: Cysteine; Nucleophilic addition reaction; Patulin; Surface-enhanced Raman scattering; Cysteine; Surface-enhanced Raman scattering; Nucleophilic addition reaction; Patulin
• ISSN: 0026-265X; 1095-9149
• DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2024.111021

[Display omitted] •A cysteine-mediated nucleophilic addition reaction was used for patulin detection.•Au@Ag/4-ATP/Cys as NAR-SERS sensor substrates.•The developed sensor had linearity with concentration of patulin.•Chemometrics algorithms improved the accuracy of SERS sensor. Fruits are susceptible to fungal infection and propagation during storage and transportation, and carry toxic metabolites of fungi. Patulin (PAT) is a primary mycotoxin contaminant in fruits and their products, with neurotoxicity, teratogenicity and carcinogenicity. The current chromatographic methods have limitations such as time-consuming, high-cost and the need for professional training. For rapid and sensitive detection of PAT, a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) method based on nucleophilic addition reaction was described in this paper. 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP), silver ion, and cysteine (Cys) were successively attached to the surface of the Au-core-Ag-shell nanoparticles to form SERS sensors. PAT reacted with Cys to form a complex covering the surface of the sensor, attenuating the Raman signal from 4-ATP. Combined with the chemometrics algorithms, the hidden spectral information can be extracted effectively. Among these algorithms, the ant colony optimization partial least squares (ACO-PLS) model demonstrated the best predictive performance (Rc = 0.9985, RMSEC = 0.0494). The recovery rate of PAT was 96.58 ∼ 101.74 % with the RSD ≤ 1.42 %. HPLC was used to verify the applicability of this SERS method, and the results indicated that the SERS method was consistent with the HPLC method (p = 0.283 > 0.05). Furthermore, the SERS sensor was not subject to interference from ochratoxins A, alternariol, and the PAT structural analogues. Consequently, the proposed SERS sensor can realize rapid and highly selective detection of PAT, providing a new strategy for the rational design of SERS sensor based on chemical reaction for indirect detection of harmful substances.