Label-free detection of single cell by ZnO/Graphene/AgNPs hybrid microcavity enhanced Raman scattering
Ultrasensitive detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli) is important for early diagnosis of foodborne diseases. Current analytical techniques face limitations in performing label-free quantification of viable bacterial cells at single-cell resolution. Herein, a hybrid enhanced Raman scattering probe...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Chemistry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fchem.2025.1636525/full |
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| Summary: | Ultrasensitive detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli) is important for early diagnosis of foodborne diseases. Current analytical techniques face limitations in performing label-free quantification of viable bacterial cells at single-cell resolution. Herein, a hybrid enhanced Raman scattering probe was constructed by assembling a layer of graphene and silver nanoparticles on a hexagonal ZnO microrod (ZnO/Graphene/AgNPs) for ultrasensitive analysis of pathogens directly. Ultimately, quantitative detection of E. coli was successfully carried out with excellent detectability from 1 cell mL−1 to 1 × 108 cells mL−1. It provided a detection limit as low as 4.57 × 10−2 cell mL−1 for E. coli. This can be attributed to the synergistic effect of different components, i.e., the ZnO microrod provides natural whispering gallery mode (WGM) microcavity which enhances light-matter interaction through multiple total internal reflections, graphene assists charge transfer, and AgNPs produce surface plasmons. These three enhancement factors are integrated to achieve label-free ultrasensitive detection. This work highlights a label-free approach for a variety of clinically relevant biomolecules to achieve early diagnosis of the disease. |
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| ISSN: | 2296-2646 |