Single-Atom Cu Anchored on a UiO-66 Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Sensor for Trace and Rapid Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) serve as critical biomarkers in exhaled breath for early-stage cancer patients, and their rapid, trace-level detection holds marked implications for cancer screening. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technology demonstrates strong potential for trace VOC gas...

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Main Authors: Yuening Wang, Xiangyu Meng, Wenxiong Shi, Yujiao Xie, Aochi Liu, Lei Xu, Lin Qiu, Xiaoyu Song, Mingjian Zhang, Jiahao Zhang, Jian Yu, Aiguo Wu, Xiaotian Wang, Jie Lin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2025-01-01
Series:Research
Online Access:https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/research.0841
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author Yuening Wang
Xiangyu Meng
Wenxiong Shi
Yujiao Xie
Aochi Liu
Lei Xu
Lin Qiu
Xiaoyu Song
Mingjian Zhang
Jiahao Zhang
Jian Yu
Aiguo Wu
Xiaotian Wang
Jie Lin
author_facet Yuening Wang
Xiangyu Meng
Wenxiong Shi
Yujiao Xie
Aochi Liu
Lei Xu
Lin Qiu
Xiaoyu Song
Mingjian Zhang
Jiahao Zhang
Jian Yu
Aiguo Wu
Xiaotian Wang
Jie Lin
author_sort Yuening Wang
collection DOAJ
description Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) serve as critical biomarkers in exhaled breath for early-stage cancer patients, and their rapid, trace-level detection holds marked implications for cancer screening. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technology demonstrates strong potential for trace VOC gas detection due to its ultra-high sensitivity and immunity to water interference. However, while surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-free semiconductor substrates offer superior spectral stability and selectivity, their sensitivity toward VOC detection remains suboptimal. This study introduces a novel semiconductor-based SERS substrate composed of copper single atoms anchored on UiO-66 (Cu1/UiO-66), achieving a record-low detection limit of 10 parts per billion for VOC gases with a rapid 2-min response time, thereby elevating the gas-sensing performance of SPR-free substrates to unprecedented levels. The exceptional SERS activity originates from the highly delocalized electron properties of single-atomic copper, which effectively facilitates single-atom charge transfer processes. Concurrently, the incorporation of copper single atoms modulates the band structure of UiO-66, substantially enhancing the coupling resonance between the substrate and target molecules. In simulated breath tests mimicking lung cancer patients’ exhalations, Cu1/UiO-66 exhibits remarkable VOC recognition capability and robust anti-interference performance. This work pioneers a new paradigm for ultra-sensitive, rapid detection of trace VOCs in exhaled breath, holding substantial promise for early cancer diagnostics and clinical translation.
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spelling doaj-art-bdc93c693be64a64a6d49c38bf0384e82025-08-21T14:08:36ZengAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)Research2639-52742025-01-01810.34133/research.0841Single-Atom Cu Anchored on a UiO-66 Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Sensor for Trace and Rapid Detection of Volatile Organic CompoundsYuening Wang0Xiangyu Meng1Wenxiong Shi2Yujiao Xie3Aochi Liu4Lei Xu5Lin Qiu6Xiaoyu Song7Mingjian Zhang8Jiahao Zhang9Jian Yu10Aiguo Wu11Xiaotian Wang12Jie Lin13School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China.State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin 300387, China.Laboratory of Advanced Theranostic Materials and Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China.Laboratory of Advanced Theranostic Materials and Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China.Laboratory of Advanced Theranostic Materials and Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China.School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China.School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.Laboratory of Advanced Theranostic Materials and Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China.School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.Laboratory of Advanced Theranostic Materials and Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China.School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.Laboratory of Advanced Theranostic Materials and Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China.Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) serve as critical biomarkers in exhaled breath for early-stage cancer patients, and their rapid, trace-level detection holds marked implications for cancer screening. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technology demonstrates strong potential for trace VOC gas detection due to its ultra-high sensitivity and immunity to water interference. However, while surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-free semiconductor substrates offer superior spectral stability and selectivity, their sensitivity toward VOC detection remains suboptimal. This study introduces a novel semiconductor-based SERS substrate composed of copper single atoms anchored on UiO-66 (Cu1/UiO-66), achieving a record-low detection limit of 10 parts per billion for VOC gases with a rapid 2-min response time, thereby elevating the gas-sensing performance of SPR-free substrates to unprecedented levels. The exceptional SERS activity originates from the highly delocalized electron properties of single-atomic copper, which effectively facilitates single-atom charge transfer processes. Concurrently, the incorporation of copper single atoms modulates the band structure of UiO-66, substantially enhancing the coupling resonance between the substrate and target molecules. In simulated breath tests mimicking lung cancer patients’ exhalations, Cu1/UiO-66 exhibits remarkable VOC recognition capability and robust anti-interference performance. This work pioneers a new paradigm for ultra-sensitive, rapid detection of trace VOCs in exhaled breath, holding substantial promise for early cancer diagnostics and clinical translation.https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/research.0841
spellingShingle Yuening Wang
Xiangyu Meng
Wenxiong Shi
Yujiao Xie
Aochi Liu
Lei Xu
Lin Qiu
Xiaoyu Song
Mingjian Zhang
Jiahao Zhang
Jian Yu
Aiguo Wu
Xiaotian Wang
Jie Lin
Single-Atom Cu Anchored on a UiO-66 Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Sensor for Trace and Rapid Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds
Research
title Single-Atom Cu Anchored on a UiO-66 Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Sensor for Trace and Rapid Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds
title_full Single-Atom Cu Anchored on a UiO-66 Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Sensor for Trace and Rapid Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds
title_fullStr Single-Atom Cu Anchored on a UiO-66 Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Sensor for Trace and Rapid Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds
title_full_unstemmed Single-Atom Cu Anchored on a UiO-66 Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Sensor for Trace and Rapid Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds
title_short Single-Atom Cu Anchored on a UiO-66 Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Sensor for Trace and Rapid Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds
title_sort single atom cu anchored on a uio 66 surface enhanced raman scattering sensor for trace and rapid detection of volatile organic compounds
url https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/research.0841
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