Zr-MOF boosted silver nanospheres for integrated SERS detection and solar photo-removal of hazardous contaminants

In this study, Ag@NU-66 core-shell composites were synthesized by coating silver nanospheres with the metal organic framework (MOF)-UiO-66-NH₂ (Zr) using a straightforward hydrothermal technique. The resulting composite combines excellent stability, high enrichment capacity, and photocatalytic properties. As a SERS substrate, Ag@NU-66 effectively detected a range of harmful contaminants, with detection limits as low as 10 −9  M, 10 −8  M, and 10 −9  M for methylene blue, rhodamine 6G, and thiram, respectively. In addition, Ag@NU-66 exhibited efficient removal of these pollutants under simulated solar light photocatalysis. The dual functionality of the composite can be attributed to the enhanced electromagnetic field created by the plasmonic properties of silver nanospheres, along with improved charge transfer facilitated by the adsorption capabilities of UiO-66-NH₂. Furthermore, the Ag@NU-66 composites demonstrated superior stability compared to bare silver nanospheres in various solvents, even in oxidative conditions containing halide ions. These findings support the potential development of Ag@NU-66-based sensing and pollutant removal systems for environmental applications.