TiO2–SiO2–Ag electrospun fibers for oxytetracycline detection by SERS

The presence of antibiotic residues such as oxytetracycline (OTC) in wastewater effluents has generated the need to monitor trace concentrations due to the development of bacterial resistance. Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is a promising technique in detection and identification a low concentrations (ng/L) with no sample preparation. A fibrillar support Titania-Silica doped with silver particles was developed in the SERS technique focused on the detection of OTC. The ceramic fibers TiO2SiO2 obtained presented phases of Rutile, Anatase and Amorphous Silica with diameters of 335 ± 76 nm. The fibers were doped with Ag by electrodeposition, showed Ag nanoparticles with sizes from 30 nm to the formation of dendritic structures with sizes greater than 1 μm, depending on the time and voltage applied during synthesis. The support doped with Ag for 30 s at 19 V presented the highest amplification factor (AF) in SERS of 44 for the band at 1278 cm−1.