SERS Platform Based on Gold Nanocube-Silica Aerogel for Ultra-Trace Drug Molecular Detection

Gold nanocube-silica aerogel (AuNCs-SA) composite nanomaterials were prepared as a powerful 3D SERS substrate through self-assembly using the solution impregnation method. Rhodamine 6G, thiram, and crystal violet were applied as molecular probes. An optimal AuNCs-SA composition of 11 mL of AuNCs and 1 mg of SA showed the strongest Raman effect and an extremely low R6G detection limit, reaching 10–16 M with an enhancement factor of 9.44 × 1010. The detection limits for crystal violet and thiram were 10–15 and 10–11 M, respectively. The SERS performance remained basically unchanged after 30 days of storage, indicating that the AuNCs-SA material has high stability and reproducibility in application. The high performance and stability of the proposed AuNCs-SA nanocomposites suggest high potential for application in the detection of low concentrations of environmental pollutants.