High-performance AgNPs/ITO SERS platform for in-situ trace Thiram monitoring in agricultural products

The detection of trace thiram is critically important due to its environmental persistence and biotoxicity. Conventional pesticide residue analysis faces fundamental limitations in sensitivity and accuracy due to low analyte recovery efficiency during sampling, making surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy an ideal solution for trace thiram monitoring. In this study, we developed a high-performance SERS substrate based on in-situ synthesized silver nanoparticle-decorated indium tin oxide (AgNPs/ITO) glass, fabricated via cyclic voltammetry electrochemical deposition. The substrate demonstrated exceptional sensitivity for standard probe molecules such as R6G, achieving an enhancement factor (EF) of up to 8.62 × 10 6 with excellent signal uniformity and universality. For pesticide detection, the substrate exhibited a remarkably low LOD of 0.55 μg/L for thiram and enabled effective in-situ identification of thiram residues on vegetable leaf surfaces, demonstrating robust capability for practical pesticide residue analysis.