Photoassisted decoration of Ag-NPs onto the SnS2 nanohexagons for the ultrasensitive SERS detection and degradation of synthetic dyes

The design and evolution of plasmonic-metals/semiconductor nanostructure as a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) active substrate has emerged as a hot research topic owing to its unique and remarkable features. In this study, the photoassisted decoration of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) onto the hydrothermally grown hexagonal-like tin disulfide (SnS2 NHs) is presented for the ultrasensitive detection of synthetic dyes. The Ag-NPs/SnS2 NHs nanostructure experiences both local electromagnetic effect from Ag-NPs and effective charge-transfer effect from the SnS2 NHs. Effective SERS enhancement of Ag-NPs/SnS2 NHs substrate is achieved by optimizing the photoreduction time. Methylene blue (MB) and Tartrazine (TZ) were selected to evaluate the SERS performance of Ag-NPs/SnS2 NHs. The results demonstrated that the prepared nanostructure exhibits a wide linear range (MB (10−3-10−10 M) and TZ (10−2-10−9 M)), low limit of detection (MB (4.12 ×10−10 M) & TZ (3.01 ×10−9 M)) and superior enhancement factor in the order of 108 and 107 for MB and TZ, respectively. High homogeneity with relative standard deviation (RSD) values of 8.71% (MB) and 7.09% (TZ), and excellent batch-to-batch reproducibility measurements with RSD values of 7.91% (MB) and 8.82% (TZ) are achieved. Moreover, the detection of MB and TZ were carried out in real-samples such as pond water and orange juice with a detection limit of 10−8 M. In addition, the superior photodegrading ability of the Ag-NPs/SnS2 NHs nanostructure was investigated, 99% of the MB and TZ were completely degraded at a UVC irradiation of 60 mins and 90 mins, respectively. The proposed approach will provide a new pathway for innovating various hybrid materials for the ultrasensitive detection and degradation of organic water pollutants in waste water. [Display omitted] •The Ag-NPs/SnS2 NHs is prepared by a facile hydrothermal and photoreduction route.•Developed SERS sensor owns excellent detection ability towards MB and TZ.•Efficient SERS enhancement is achieved by the synergistic effect of Ag-NPs and SnS2.•Excellent performance includes high AEF, low LOD, uniformity and reproducibility.•The real-time detection and degradation ability of Ag-NPs/SnS2 NHs are demonstrated.