Surface enhanced Raman scattering based on ZnO/Cu@Ag heterojunction for detecting γ-aminobutyric acid molecules

Detecting γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the mammalian body is vital for diagnosing neurological disorders. Here, we introduced a novel SERS sensor based on metal-semiconductor heterojunction ZnO/Cu@Ag substrate for highly sensitive detecting GABA molecules. The ZnO/Cu@Ag substrate fully leverages the electromagnetic field enhancement effect and the chemical enhancement effect of metal-semiconductors heterojunction, exhibiting an excellent enhancement factor of 2.23 × 106 and a low limit-of-detection (LOD) of 3.84 nM for GABA molecules in water. Moreover, the ZnO/Cu@Ag substrate could recognize 10 nM GABA molecules in human serum. This GABA SERS sensor provides a reliable tool and technological support for research and applications in neuroscience and medicine.