Mikrochim Acta. 2026 Jun 23;193(7):491. doi: 10.1007/s00604-026-08197-y.

ABSTRACT

A high-performance, flexible surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing platform designed to detect key hyperuricemia (HUA) biomarkers in non-invasive biofluids is presented. The platform employs a bimetallic nanocomposite hydrogel fabricated via a semi-interpenetrating polymer network, wherein hydroxyethyl cellulose-stabilized gold nanorods are integrated with in situ-reduced silver nanoparticles from oxidized sodium alginate within a sodium alginate/polyacrylamide hybrid network. The hydrogel SERS substrate exhibits outstanding mechanical properties with a tensile strain of up to 911.37% and excellent swelling behavior, achieving equilibrium swelling ratios of 1919.74% in deionized water and 1822.97% in artificial urine. It achieves detection limits of 2.09 × 10^{– 10} M for uric acid, 1.70 × 10^{– 10} M for xanthine, and 2.14 × 10^{– 9} M for hypoxanthine. Spike-and-recovery experiments in artificial urine confirm recoveries consistently above 90%, validating the substrate’s excellent accuracy and reproducibility in complex biological matrices. Collectively, this work provides a novel and reliable approach for advancing non-invasive, real-time monitoring of HUA.

PMID:42337148 | DOI:10.1007/s00604-026-08197-y