Charge-Transfer Resonance and Electromagnetic Enhancement Synergistically Enabling MXenes with Excellent SERS Sensitivity for SARS-CoV-2 S Protein Detection
Abstract
The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 has seriously threatened human health. Rapidly and sensitively detecting SARS-CoV-2 viruses can help control the spread of viruses. However, it is an arduous challenge to apply semiconductor-based substrates for virus SERS detection due to their poor sensitivity. Therefore, it is worthwhile to search novel semiconductor-based substrates with excellent SERS sensitivity. Herein we report, for the first time, Nb2C and Ta2C MXenes exhibit a remarkable SERS enhancement, which is synergistically enabled by the charge transfer resonance enhancement and electromagnetic enhancement. Their SERS sensitivity is optimized to 3.0 × 106 and 1.4 × 106 under the optimal resonance excitation wavelength of 532 nm. Additionally, remarkable SERS sensitivity endows Ta2C MXenes with capability to sensitively detect and accurately identify the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Moreover, its detection limit is as low as 5 × 10−9 M, which is beneficial to achieve real-time monitoring and early warning of novel coronavirus. This research not only provides helpful theoretical guidance for exploring other novel SERS-active semiconductor-based materials but also provides a potential candidate for the practical applications of SERS technology.
- Publication:
-
Nano-Micro Letters
- Pub Date:
- December 2021
- DOI:
- 10.1007/s40820-020-00565-4
- Bibcode:
- 2021NML....13...52P
- Keywords:
-
- Nb<SUB>2</SUB>C and Ta<SUB>2</SUB>C MXenes;
- SERS sensitivity;
- PICT resonance;
- SARS-CoV-2 S protein