Development of a Sensitive SERS Method for Label-Free Detection of Hexavalent Chromium in Tea Using Carbimazole Redox Reaction

Tea plants absorb chromium-contaminated soil and water and accumulate in tea leaves. Hexavalent chromium (Cr(6+)) is a very toxic heavy metal; excessive intake of tea containing Cr(6+) can cause serious harm to human health. A reliable and sensitive surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) method was developed using Au@Ag nanoparticles as an enhanced substrate for the determination of Cr(6+) in tea. The Au@AgNPs coated with carbimazole showed a highly selective reaction to Cr(6+) in tea samples through a redox reaction between Cr(6+) and carbimazole. The Cr(6+) in the contaminated tea sample reacted with methimazole—the hydrolysate of carbimazole—to form disulfide, which led to the decrease in the Raman intensity of the peak at 595 cm(−1). The logarithm of the concentration of Cr(6+) has a linear relationship with the Raman intensity at the characteristic peak and showed a limit of detection of 0.945 mg/kg for the tea sample. The carbimazole functionalized Au@AgNPs showed high selectivity in analyzing Cr(6+) in tea samples, even in the presence of other metal ions. The SERS detection technique established in this study also showed comparable results with the standard ICP-MS method, indicating the applicability of the established technique in practical applications.