A portable architectonics of Al/carbon nitride/metal-organic frameworks anchored Ag nanoparticles for SERS detection and photocatalytic degradation of fungicide

In recent years, it is urgent to develop bi-functional materials for highly sensitive SERS detection and photo-catalytic degradation of contaminants in water of fish pond. Herein, using 5-mercapto-1-methyltetrazole as the ligand, the tree-trunk like zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) is induced and in-situ grown on the surface of aluminum/flower carbon nitride (Al/f-C3N4). Then, AgNPs are tightly anchored in ZIF-8 of Al/f-C3N4/ZIF-8 by strong Ag-N and Ag-S bonds, and a portable architecture of Al/f-C3N4/ZIF-8/Ag is successfully prepared. Results indicate that the Al/f-C3N4/ZIF-8/Ag architecture exhibits excellent SERS activity and the detection limit can as low as 2.15 x 10(-11) mol.L-1 for crystal violet (CV, a typical fungicide). Also, the Al/f-C3N4/ZIF-8/Ag substrate presents good photocatalytic activity for CV molecule, and the degradation efficiency reaches 98.58% after illumination for 90 min. This is mainly due to the good adsorption capacity of ZIF-8 which can enrich more CV molecules and pull them to hot spots generated by Ag in Al/f-C3N4/ZIF-8/Ag, and thus SERS response are enhanced significantly. Besides, the strong synergistic effect of f-C3N4, ZIF-8 and AgNPs is also important which facilitates the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. Thus, the designed portable and bi-functional substrate could be used as a potential material for the detection and removal of CV in practical application.

Automated summary

This study developed a portable bi-functional substrate for the detection and removal of CV in fish pond water. The Al/f-C3N4/ZIF-8/Ag architecture exhibited excellent SERS activity and good photocatalytic activity, mainly due to the good adsorption capacity of ZIF-8 and the strong synergistic effect of f-C3N4, ZIF-8, and AgNPs.