Qualitative analysis of trace quinolone antibiotics by SERS with fine structure dependent sensitivity

• Published in: Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy, 2022-10, Vol.278, p.121365, Article 121365
• Main Authors: Zhang, Ming-zhi, Zhou, Zhi-ming, Xu, Jing, Wang, Wei-li, Pu, Shu-huan, Hu, Wei-ye, Luo, Ping, Tian, Zhong-qun, Gong, Zhen-bin, Liu, Guo-kun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Electronegativity; Fingerprinting recognition; Steric hindrances; Toxicity
• ISSN: 1386-1425
• DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2022.121365

[Display omitted] •Qualitative analysis of 16 quinolone antibiotics with fine molecular structure differences is achieved by SERS.•The single-atom level structural difference of quinolone antibiotics molecules is distinguished by SERS.•The detection sensitivity is highly sensitive to the synergistic effect between electronegativity and steric effect. Antibiotics are widely used in daily life, which has created a global scenario where many pathogenic organisms have become effectively resistant to antibiotics. The abuse or overuse of antibiotics causes significant environmental pollution and even endangers human health. It is well-known that antibiotics' efficacy (toxicity) is determined by molecular structure. Therefore, structure-level qualitative analysis with high sensitivity and accuracy is vitally important. Characterized by fingerprinting recognition, Raman spectroscopy, especially surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), has become an essential qualitative analysis tool in various fields, such as environmental monitoring and food safety. With the exception of chirality, this study completed the qualitative trace analysis of 16 quinolone antibiotics (QNs) with fine molecular structure differences using SERS. The sensitivity was tuned in by one order of magnitude through the different electronegativity and steric hindrances of the slightly changed functional groups in the specific antibiotics. The fine structure dependent sensitivity enables SERS to be a powerful on-site monitoring tool to control the abuse of antibiotics with high toxicity; thus, decreasing the subsequent risk to the environmental ecology and human society.