ESERS Sensing: Challenges and Opportunities

Advances in optics and electrochemical technologies enable the development of point-of-use assays for a wide spectrum of analytes including pesticides, toxins, antibiotics, heavy metal ions, and certain harmful microorganisms. These advancements are important for environmental monitoring, and for safeguarding human health. Though the optical and electrochemical sensors offer several advantages individually, the integration of these two technologies helps in achieving lower detection limits with high specificity and provides both electrical and optical properties simultaneously. This article provides insight into the fabrication of a hybrid sensor based on Electrochemical-Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (E-SERS). In this study, the hybrid sensor was employed for the real time detection of the structural changes in the 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) during its electrochemical activity. The study was performed on a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE). It also discusses on the importance of the electrode modification and its impact on the analysis. The study potentially showed a change in the SERS spectra during the electro-oxidation on the modified SPCE, making it a potential tool in the detection of small molecules.