Green stem-extract synthesis of gold nanoparticles for pyridoxine SERS: morphology, extract-dependent behavior, and DFT/CPHF analysis
摘要
The green, stabilizer-free synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using aqueous stem extracts of Petiveria alliacea (PA), Gliricidia sepium (GS), and Bougainvillea spectabilis (BS) is demonstrated. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirm nanoparticle formation and crystalline face-centered cubic (fcc) domains. Using pyridoxine (Py) as a Raman probe, we compare surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) responses across the plant-derived colloids under identical acquisition conditions and express the signal intensity under the same acquisition conditions (785 nm laser, 10 mW, 10 s exposure). To rationalize excitation dependence and mode selectivity, we model a gold cluster-pyridoxine complex (Au8-Py) by density functional theory (DFT) and compute Raman activities within the coupled-perturbed Hartree-Fock (CPHF) formalism, linking calculated vibronic responses to experimental trends. Unlike common plant routes that typically employ flowers or leaves and often require added stabilizers, the stem-only approach simplifies preparation, reduces chemical inputs, and yields plasmonic substrates. The combined experimental-theoretical analysis connects extract-dependent surface chemistry and morphology with SERS performance and outlines a practical path toward low-cost sensing of small nutrients and related analytes.