Rapid detection of diphenhydramine in children’s cosmetics using SERS-active gold hedgehog particles/MOF-801 deposited on cellulose nanofibrils films

Public concern regarding the illicit addition of diphenhydramine (DPH) to children’s cosmetics highlights the urgent need for robust point-of-use (POU) detection strategies. In addressing this concern, we present a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based method for rapidly identifying and quantifying DPH in children’s creams. Our approach utilizes a multifunctional sensor comprising a cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) film modified with metal-organic framework-801 (MOF-801) and hedgehog-like gold nanoparticles (GHPs). The synthesized GHPs/MOF-801/CNF sensor functions as both a SERS-active substrate and a sorbent, leveraging abundant nanogaps and sharp tips of the GHPs to amplify SERS signals. The porous CNF and MOF-801 ensure efficient and selective extraction, while the SERS-active GHPs significantly enhance detection sensitivity. The correlation between SERS intensity and logarithmic concentration yielded R-values between 0.926 and 0.978, with the detection limit as low as 0.4 ppb, making it suitable for detecting prohibited DPH additives. This method was successfully applied to two brands of cream samples, with results closely aligning with those from routine chromatography. This method’s key advantage is its exceptional efficiency, completing the detection process within 11 min, making it a user-friendly POU assay for detecting prohibited additives in children’s cosmetics.