Interwoven Porous ZIF Polyhedra Threaded with Silver Thiolate Nanowires for Ultrasensitive SERS Detection of Chlorotoluene Isomers

Abstract

Abstract The identification of isomeric organic compounds poses a significant challenge due to their structurally and chemically analogous features. This research introduces an innovative methodology for the detection of chlorotoluene isomers through the utilization of Surface‐Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS). The approach utilizes an exceptionally efficient SERS substrate, namely (Ag 0 2 Ag I Mpy) n @ h ‐ZIF (where Mpy denotes p ‐mercaptopyridine), characterized by its hollow Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks ( h ‐ZIFs) interwoven with silver thiolate nanowires. The porous channels within h ‐ZIFs stably adsorb various chlorotoluene isomers, subsequently exposing them to the electromagnetic field generated by Ag 0 species. In addition to coordinating with silver ions, the Mpy component within the silver nanowires functions as a highly stable SERS probe, which improves detection accuracy by serving as an internal standard. This study introduces a novel Ag‐ZIF model as a highly efficient SERS substrate and presents a distinctive methodology for differentiating organic isomers or analogous small molecules.