Investigation of the adsorption of pymetrozine on the Au@AgNPs surface and its application in the rapid detection of pymetrozine residues in apple

Pymetrozine is widely used in agriculture to control pests, and its residue may pose a threat to humans. In this study, the adsorption behavior of pymetrozine on Au@AgNPs surfaces in different solutions was investigated by calculation of ACD/Labs, density functional theory, UV–vis spectra, zeta potential and surface-enhanced Raman scattering. Then, a SERS method for detection of pymetrozine residues in apples was established based on the adsorption study. The results showed that pymetrozine was adsorbed on Au@AgNPs surface in different forms in various solutions and high SERS sensitivity of pymetrozine was obtained by the synergistic effect of pymetrozine, Au@AgNPs and NaOH. A simple SERS method has been established to detect pymetrozine in apples with a LOD of 0.038 mg/kg, linear range of 0.05–1.00 mg/kg, recovery of 71.93–117.49 % and RSD low than 11.70 %. This study provides a reference for rapid detection of pymetrozine in agricultural products.