A surface-enhanced Raman scattering aptasensor for Escherichia coli detection based on high-performance 3D substrate and hot spot effect

A surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) aptasensor was established for highly sensitive and selective detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli). Chitosan hydrogel modified with E. coli aptamer (Apt) functionalized silver nanoparticles was constructed as a SERS 3D substrate for specific bacteria enrichment, while the Raman signaling molecule 4-mercaptobenzoic acid and E. coli Apt modified gold nanostars were prepared for the sensitive quantification of E. coli. The aptasensor exhibits intense electromagnetic field enhancement in multiple hot spot regions, including the spikes and the gap between adjacent nanostars and that between gold nanostars and silver nanoparticles. Due to the hot spot effect coupled with the selective recognition ability, a detection limit of 3.46 CFU/mL with a wide dynamic linearized range from 3.2 × 101 to 3.2 × 107 CFU/mL could be achieved without other non-target bacteria interference. Moreover, this SERS aptasensor was applied to detect E. coli in actual samples with a good recovery rate (>90%). Therefore, the developed SERS aptasensor paves a new avenue for the detection in the field of food safety and environmental pollution by replacing the corresponding aptamers.