Bioinspired Turing‐Nanoarchitected Needle for Solid Matrices Analysis: A Universal Platform Enabling Dual‐Scale SERS Enhancement

Abstract

AbstractThe spontaneous emergence of Turing patterns in biological systems has inspired advanced materials with superior performance, yet their untapped potential in surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) technology offers a transformative frontier. Mirroring the anti‐reflective coating of insect eyes, where Turing‐patterned corneal protrusions form graded refractive index interfaces with the lens, a bioinspired integration of Turing‐nanoarchitected Ag (TN‐Ag) with in situ zeolitic imidazolate framework‐8 (ZIF‐8) growth is engineered. The electrochemically sculpted fractal framework on silver needles serves dual roles as plasmonic amplifiers and curvature‐guided templates for ZIF‐8 growth, spatially aligning electromagnetic hotspots with selective‐enrichment porous channels. The TN‐Ag/ZIF‐8 hierarchical architecture enables dual‐scale SERS enhancement through mesoscopic light modulation via refractive index gradients and microscopic molecular enrichment through size‐selective pores. Leveraging 4‐mercaptophenylboronic acid as a dual‐recognition probe, this platform achieves ultrasensitive discrimination and detection of Hg2+ (10−10 m) and methylmercury (10−8 m) with exceptional interference resistance and practical reliability. Further, its injector‐integrated design permits direct sampling in untreated solid matrices while seamlessly interfacing with portable Raman systems, demonstrating readiness for real‐world environmental monitoring and food safety diagnostics. By transmuting biomimetic principles into functional nanofabrication, this work establishes a universal paradigm for next‐generation on‐site chemical analysis, uniting biological design logic with engineered sensing demands.