Synergistically Enhanced Ta2O5/AgNPs SERS Substrate Coupled with Deep Learning for Ultra-Sensitive Microplastic Detection

Herein, a high-performance Ta2O5/AgNPs composite Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) substrate is engineered for highly sensitive detection of microplastics. Through morphology modulation and band-gap engineering, the semiconductor Ta2O5is structured into spheres and composited with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), facilitating efficient charge transfer and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). This architecture integrates electromagnetic (EM) and chemical (CM) enhancement mechanisms, achieving an ultra-low detection limit of 10−13M for rhodamine 6G (R6G) with excellent linearity. Furthermore, the three-dimensional “pseudo-Neuston” network structure exhibits superior capture capability for microplastics (PS, PET, PMMA). To address spectral interference in simulated complex environments, a multi-scale deep-learning model combining wavelet transform, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), and Transformers is proposed. This model achieves a classification accuracy of 98.7% under high-noise conditions, significantly outperforming traditional machine learning methods. This work presents a robust strategy for environmental monitoring, offering a novel solution for precise risk assessment of microplastic pollution.