A simple mesoporous silica Nanoparticle-based aptamers SERS sensor for the detection of acetamiprid

•Successful preparation of MSNs-NH2 nanoparticles by one-pot method.•A silver silica core − shell structure (Ag@SiO2) was prepared and it served as a SERS substrate.•A simple and novel biosensor for the quantitative determination of acetamiprid (ACE) based on target-induced release of signal molecules from aptamer-gated aminated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs-NH2) coupled with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technology.•For ACE detection, the linear range was 5–60 ng/mL, and the limit of detection (LOD) was determined to be 2.66 ng/mL.