Sains Malaysiana 55(2)(2026): 305-315

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2026-5502-10

 

Teknik Pengukuran Racun Perosak Nitenpyram menggunakan Serakan Raman Permukaan Diperkuat Berasaskan Nanobintang Logam

(Detection Technique of Nitenpyram Pesticide using Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Based on Metal Nanostars)

 

FARAH SHAHADAH NOR AZMI¹, NORHAYATI ABU BAKAR^1,* & JOSEPH GEORGE SHAPTER²

 

¹Institute of Microengineering and Nanoelectronics (IMEN), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

²Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), University of Queensland, 4067 St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia

 

Received: 14 August 2025/Accepted: 24 January 2026

 

Abstrak

Serakan Raman permukaan diperkuat (SERS) merupakan teknik pengesanan yang sensitif dan tepat hasil daripada gabungan spekroskopi Raman dan bahan logam bersaiz nanometer dalam mengesan racun perosak. Isyarat spektrum Raman molekul racun perosak dapat dipertingkatkan kesan daripada sifat plasmonik bahan logam yang bertindak sebagai penderia. Dalam kajian ini, pembangunan substrat SERS berasaskan nanobintang emas (AuNs), nanobintang perak (AgNs) dan hibrid AuNs/AgNs disediakan untuk mengesan molekul racun perosak nitenpyram (NTM). Gabungan dua bahan nanologam ini telah menambahbaik sifat kepekaan sistem penderiaan apabila terdapat kehadiran AuNs di dalam sistem AgNs dengan merekodkan nilai Faktor Penguat (EF) pada 1.53×10⁴ dan had pengesan terendah (LOD) racun perosak pada 0.7 ng/mL. Penggunaan susbtrat SERS hibrid AuNs/AgNs juga telah mencatatkan sifat kebolehasilan yang sangat baik dengan nilai sisihan piawai relatif (RSD) pada julat yang rendah iaitu 4.74%. Menariknya, substrat SERS yang dibina ini boleh digunakan untuk beberapa kali pengukuran dan mempunyai kestabilan yang tinggi terhadap persekitaran dan jangka masa lama. Substrat SERS hibrid AuNs/AgNs membuktikan kemampuan dalam mengesan dan mengenal pasti molekul NTM di dalam matrik kompleks apabila berada di dalam campuran racun perosak yang lain. Prestasi penderia yang diberikan oleh substrat SERS ini sangat penting untuk digunakan di dalam pemantauan pencemaran alam persekitaran dan kualiti makanan apabila masyarakat memerlukan alat pengukuran yang cepat, tepat dan mudah alih untuk pengukuran di luar makmal.

Kata kunci: Nanobintang logam; racun perosak; serakan Raman permukaan diperkuat (SERS)

 

Abstract

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a sensitive and accurate detection technique that combines Raman spectroscopy with nanometer-scale metal materials to detect pesticides. The Raman spectral signal of pesticide molecules can be significantly enhanced by the plasmonic properties of the metal materials which act as sensors. In this study, SERS substrates based on gold nanostars (AuNs), silver nanostars (AgNs), and hybrid AuNs/AgNs were developed to detect the pesticide molecule nitenpyram (NTM). The use of these bimetallic materials led to improved sensitivity, specifically, the presence of AuNs in the AgNs system yielded an enhancement factor (EF) of 1.53×10⁴ and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.7 ng/mL. The AuNs/AgNs substrate also demonstrated excellent reproducibility, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 4.74%. Notably, the constructed SERS substrate is reusable and exhibits high environmental and temporal stability. It was also effective at detecting and identifying NTM molecules in complex matrices containing other pesticide. The sensor performance of this SERS substrate is very important for use in monitoring environmental pollution and food quality when society needs a fast, accurate, portable measurement tool for use outside the laboratory.

Keywords: Metal nanostars; pesticide; surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)

 

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*Corresponding author; email: norhayati.ab@ukm.edu.my