Novel synthesis of Pd nanosheets used as highly sensitive SERS substrate for trace fluorescent dye detection

In this work, a simple and effective method has been developed to synthesize Pd nanosheets that were successfully employed by reducing the Pd salt precursor in N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and lemon extract in the presence of Tungsten hexacarbonyl with different reaction conditions (e.g., temperature, reaction time). It indicates to be an eco-friendly, simple and novel method for the synthesis, providing a cost-effective and efficient route for the Pd nanosheets’ synthesis. The Pd nanosheets were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was also demonstrated that the Pd nanosheets were both highly SERS-active and stable. Results show that Rhodamine 6G (R6G), used as a fluorescent marker, could be detected over a wide concentration range from 10 −13 to 10 −8 M, with the lower limit of detection being 10 −13 M.