Rapid and Ultrasensitive Short-Chain PFAS (GenX) Detection in Water via Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy with a Hierarchical Nanofibrous Substrate
GenX, the trade name of hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) and its ammonium salt, is a short-chain PFAS that has emerged as a substitute for the legacy PFAS perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). However, GenX has turned out to be more toxic than people originally thought. In order to monitor an...
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Nanomaterials |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/15/9/655 |
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| author | Ali K. Ismail Shobha Mantripragada Renzun Zhao Sherine O. Obare Lifeng Zhang |
| author_facet | Ali K. Ismail Shobha Mantripragada Renzun Zhao Sherine O. Obare Lifeng Zhang |
| author_sort | Ali K. Ismail |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | GenX, the trade name of hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) and its ammonium salt, is a short-chain PFAS that has emerged as a substitute for the legacy PFAS perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). However, GenX has turned out to be more toxic than people originally thought. In order to monitor and regulate water quality according to recently issued drinking water standards for GenX, rapid and ultrasensitive detection of GenX is urgently needed. For the first time, this study reports ultrasensitive (as low as 1 part per billion (ppb)) and fast detection (in minutes) of GenX in water via surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) using a hierarchical nanofibrous SERS substrate, which was prepared by assembling ~60 nm Ag nanoparticles on electrospun nylon-6 nanofibers through a “hot start” method. The findings in this research highlight the potential of the engineered hierarchical nanofibrous SERS substrate for enhanced detection of short-chain PFASs in water, contributing to the improvement of environmental monitoring and management strategies for PFASs. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1adf8b28bb4e4fa583b8d05a91a097ae |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2079-4991 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nanomaterials |
| spelling | doaj-art-1adf8b28bb4e4fa583b8d05a91a097ae2025-08-20T02:59:14ZengMDPI AGNanomaterials2079-49912025-04-0115965510.3390/nano15090655Rapid and Ultrasensitive Short-Chain PFAS (GenX) Detection in Water via Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy with a Hierarchical Nanofibrous SubstrateAli K. Ismail0Shobha Mantripragada1Renzun Zhao2Sherine O. Obare3Lifeng Zhang4Department of Nanoengineering, Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC 27401, USADepartment of Nanoengineering, Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC 27401, USADepartment of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC 27411, USADepartment of Nanoscience, Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27401, USADepartment of Nanoengineering, Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC 27401, USAGenX, the trade name of hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) and its ammonium salt, is a short-chain PFAS that has emerged as a substitute for the legacy PFAS perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). However, GenX has turned out to be more toxic than people originally thought. In order to monitor and regulate water quality according to recently issued drinking water standards for GenX, rapid and ultrasensitive detection of GenX is urgently needed. For the first time, this study reports ultrasensitive (as low as 1 part per billion (ppb)) and fast detection (in minutes) of GenX in water via surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) using a hierarchical nanofibrous SERS substrate, which was prepared by assembling ~60 nm Ag nanoparticles on electrospun nylon-6 nanofibers through a “hot start” method. The findings in this research highlight the potential of the engineered hierarchical nanofibrous SERS substrate for enhanced detection of short-chain PFASs in water, contributing to the improvement of environmental monitoring and management strategies for PFASs.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/15/9/655short-chain PFASsdetectionsurface-enhanced Raman scatteringelectrospinningnylon-6Ag nanoparticles |
| spellingShingle | Ali K. Ismail Shobha Mantripragada Renzun Zhao Sherine O. Obare Lifeng Zhang Rapid and Ultrasensitive Short-Chain PFAS (GenX) Detection in Water via Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy with a Hierarchical Nanofibrous Substrate Nanomaterials short-chain PFASs detection surface-enhanced Raman scattering electrospinning nylon-6 Ag nanoparticles |
| title | Rapid and Ultrasensitive Short-Chain PFAS (GenX) Detection in Water via Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy with a Hierarchical Nanofibrous Substrate |
| title_full | Rapid and Ultrasensitive Short-Chain PFAS (GenX) Detection in Water via Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy with a Hierarchical Nanofibrous Substrate |
| title_fullStr | Rapid and Ultrasensitive Short-Chain PFAS (GenX) Detection in Water via Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy with a Hierarchical Nanofibrous Substrate |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rapid and Ultrasensitive Short-Chain PFAS (GenX) Detection in Water via Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy with a Hierarchical Nanofibrous Substrate |
| title_short | Rapid and Ultrasensitive Short-Chain PFAS (GenX) Detection in Water via Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy with a Hierarchical Nanofibrous Substrate |
| title_sort | rapid and ultrasensitive short chain pfas genx detection in water via surface enhanced raman spectroscopy with a hierarchical nanofibrous substrate |
| topic | short-chain PFASs detection surface-enhanced Raman scattering electrospinning nylon-6 Ag nanoparticles |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/15/9/655 |
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