Analysis of temporal evolution of quantum dot surface chemistry by surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Doğan, İlker; Gresback, Ryan; Nozaki, Tomohiro; van de Sanden, Mauritius C M

2016-07-08

Temporal evolution of surface chemistry during oxidation of silicon quantum dot (Si-QD) surfaces were probed using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). A monolayer of hydrogen and chlorine terminated plasma-synthesized Si-QDs were spin-coated on silver oxide thin films. A clearly enhanced signal of surface modes, including Si-Clx and Si-Hx modes were observed from as-synthesized Si-QDs as a result of the plasmonic enhancement of the Raman signal at Si-QD/silver oxide interface. Upon oxidation, a gradual decrease of Si-Clx and Si-Hx modes, and an emergence of Si-Ox and Si-O-Hx modes have been observed. In addition, first, second and third transverse optical modes of Si-QDs were also observed in the SERS spectra, revealing information on the crystalline morphology of Si-QDs. An absence of any of the abovementioned spectral features, but only the first transverse optical mode of Si-QDs from thick Si-QD films validated that the spectral features observed from Si-QDs on silver oxide thin films are originated from the SERS effect. These results indicate that real-time SERS is a powerful diagnostic tool and a novel approach to probe the dynamic surface/interface chemistry of quantum dots, especially when they involve in oxidative, catalytic, and electrochemical surface/interface reactions.

Dynamic optical bistability in resonantly enhanced Raman generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novikova, I.; Phillips, D.F.; Zibrov, A.S.; Andre, A.; Walsworth, R.L.

2004-01-01

We report observations of novel dynamic behavior in resonantly enhanced stimulated Raman scattering in Rb vapor. In particular, we demonstrate a dynamic hysteresis of the Raman scattered optical field in response to changes of the drive laser field intensity and/or frequency. This effect may be described as a dynamic form of optical bistability resulting from the formation and decay of atomic coherence. We have applied this phenomenon to the realization of an all-optical switch

Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Physics and Applications

CERN Document Server

Kneipp, Katrin; Kneipp, Harald

2006-01-01

Almost 30 years after the first reports on surface-enhanced Raman signals, the phenomenon of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is now well established. Yet, explaining the enhancement of a spectroscopic signal by fouteen orders of magnitude continues to attract the attention of physicists and chemists alike. And, at the same time and rapidly growing, SERS is becoming a very useful spectroscopic tool with exciting applications in many fields. SERS gained particular interest after single-molecule Raman spectroscopy had been demonstrated. This bookl summarizes and discusses present theoretical approaches that explain the phenomenon of SERS and reports on new and exciting experiments and applications of the fascinating spectroscopic effect.

Theoretical studies of surface enhanced hyper-Raman spectroscopy: The chemical enhancement mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Valley, Nicholas; Jensen, Lasse; Autschbach, Jochen; Schatz, George C.

2010-08-01

Hyper-Raman spectra for pyridine and pyridine on the surface of a tetrahedral 20 silver atom cluster are calculated using static hyperpolarizability derivatives obtained from time dependent density functional theory. The stability of the results with respect to choice of exchange-correlation functional and basis set is verified by comparison with experiment and with Raman spectra calculated for the same systems using the same methods. Calculated Raman spectra were found to match well with experiment and previous theoretical calculations. The calculated normal and surface enhanced hyper-Raman spectra closely match experimental results. The chemical enhancement factors for hyper-Raman are generally larger than for Raman (102-104 versus 101-102). Integrated hyper-Raman chemical enhancement factors are presented for a set of substituted pyridines. A two-state model is developed to predict these chemical enhancement factors and this was found to work well for the majority of the molecules considered, providing a rationalization for the difference between hyper-Raman and Raman enhancement factors.

Non-invasive optical detection of HBV based on serum surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Zuci; Wang, Qiwen; Weng, Cuncheng; Lin, Xueliang; Lin, Yao; Feng, Shangyuan

2016-10-01

An optical method of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was developed for non-invasive detection of hepatitis B surface virus (HBV). Hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) is an established serological marker that is routinely used for the diagnosis of acute or chronic hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection. Utilizing SERS to analyze blood serum for detecting HBV has not been reported in previous literature. SERS measurements were performed on two groups of serum samples: one group for 50 HBV patients and the other group for 50 healthy volunteers. Blood serum samples are collected from healthy control subjects and patients diagnosed with HBV. Furthermore, principal components analysis (PCA) combined with linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were employed to differentiate HBV patients from healthy volunteer and achieved sensitivity of 80.0% and specificity of 74.0%. This exploratory work demonstrates that SERS serum analysis combined with PCA-LDA has tremendous potential for the non-invasive detection of HBV.

Novel routes to electromagnetic enhancement and its characterisation in surface- and tip-enhanced Raman scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Dawson, P; Frey, D; Kalathingal, V; Mehfuz, R; Mitra, J

2017-12-04

Quantitative understanding of the electromagnetic component in enhanced Raman spectroscopy is often difficult to achieve on account of the complex substrate structures utilised. We therefore turn to two structurally simple systems amenable to detailed modelling. The first is tip-enhanced Raman scattering under electron scanning tunnelling microscopy control (STM-TERS) where, appealing to understanding developed in the context of photon emission from STM, it is argued that the localised surface plasmon modes driving the Raman enhancement exist in the visible and near-infrared regime only by virtue of significant modification to the optical properties of the tip and sample metals (gold here). This is due to the strong dc field-induced (∼10 9 V m -1 ) non-linear corrections to the dielectric function of gold via the third order susceptibility term in the polarisation. Also, sub-5 nm spatial resolution is shown in the modelling. Secondly, we suggest a novel deployment of hybrid plasmonic waveguide modes in surface enhanced Raman scattering (HPWG-SERS). This delivers strong confinement of electromagnetic energy in a ∼10 nm oxide 'gap' between a high-index dielectric material of nanoscale width (a GaAs nanorod and a 100 nm Si slab are considered here) and a metal, yielding a monotonic variation in the Raman enhancement factor as a function of wavelength with no long-wavelength cut-off, both features that contrast with STM-TERS.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering from silver electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trott, G.R.

1982-01-01

The chemical and physical origins of the anomalously large enhancement of the Raman scattering cross section for molecules adsorbed on silver electrodes in an electrochemical cell were investigated. The effect of the chemical reactions which occur during the anodization/activation procedure were studied using the Ag-CN system. It was shown that the function of the anodization process is to roughen the electrode surface and create an activated site for bonding to the cyanide. A new nonelectrochemical technique for activating the silver surface, along with a study of the enhanced cyanide Raman scattering in different background electrolytes, showed that the Raman active entity on the surface must be a silver-cyanide complex. In order to study the physical mechanism of the enhancement, the angular dependence of the scattered radiation was measured from pyridine adsorbed on an evaporated silver electrode. Both polycrystalline and single crystalline silver films were used. The angular dependence of the scattered radiation from these films showed that the metal surface was controlling the directional properties of the scattered radiation, and not the polarizability tensor of the adsorbate. Based on these experimental results, it was concluded that for weakly roughened silver electrodes the source of the anomalous enhancement is due to a resonant Raman scattering process

Surface enhanced Raman scattering

CERN Document Server

Furtak, Thomas

1982-01-01

In the course of the development of surface science, advances have been identified with the introduction of new diagnostic probes for analytical characterization of the adsorbates and microscopic structure of surfaces and interfaces. Among the most recently de­ veloped techniques, and one around which a storm of controversy has developed, is what has now been earmarked as surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Within this phenomenon, molecules adsorbed onto metal surfaces under certain conditions exhibit an anomalously large interaction cross section for the Raman effect. This makes it possible to observe the detailed vibrational signature of the adsorbate in the ambient phase with an energy resolution much higher than that which is presently available in electron energy loss spectroscopy and when the surface is in contact with a much larger amount of material than that which can be tolerated in infrared absorption experiments. The ability to perform vibrational spectroscopy under these conditions would l...

Surface-enhanced Raman fiberoptic sensors for remote monitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stokes, D.L.; Alarie, J.P.; Vo-Dinh, T. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States). Health Sciences Research Div.

1995-09-01

A new sensor design for remote surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) measurements has been developed for environmental applications. The design features the modification of an optical fiber using layers of alumina microparticles and silver coatings for inducing the SERS effect at the sensing probe. A single fiber carries both the laser excitation and the SERS signal radiation, keeping optical parameters at the remote tip simple and consistent. The small tip size achievable with this configuration also demonstrates potential of this new design as a microsensor for in-situ measurement in microenvironments. Details of sensor tip fabrication and optical system design are described. SERS spectra of aqueous environmental samples acquired in-situ using the SERS sensor are also presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the SERS sensor.

[Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy analysis of thiabendazole pesticide].

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Lei; Wu, Rui-mei; Liu, Mu-hua; Wang, Xiao-bin; Yan, Lin-yuan

2015-02-01

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) technique was used to analyze the Raman peaks of thiabendazole pesticides in the present paper. Surface enhanced substrates of silver nanoparticle were made based on microwave technology. Raman signals of thiabendazole were collected by laser Micro-Raman spectrometer with 514. 5 and 785 nm excitation wavelengths, respectively. The Raman peaks at different excitation wavelengths were analyzed and compared. The Raman peaks 782 and 1 012 at 785 nm excitation wavelength were stronger, which were C--H out-of-plane vibrations. While 1284, 1450 and 1592 cm(-1) at 514.5 nm excitation wavelength were stronger, which were vng and C==N stretching. The study results showed that the intensity of Raman peak and Raman shift at different excitation wavelengths were different And strong Raman signals were observed at 782, 1012, 1284, 1450 and 1592 cm(-1) at 514.5 and 785 nm excitation wavelengths. These characteristic vibrational modes are characteristic Raman peaks of carbendazim pesticide. The results can provide basis for the rapid screening of pesticide residue in agricultural products and food based on Raman spectrum.

Quantum mechanical limit to plasmonic enhancement as observed by surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Wenqi; Crozier, Kenneth B

2014-10-14

Plasmonic nanostructures enable light to be concentrated into nanoscale 'hotspots', wherein the intensity of light can be enhanced by orders of magnitude. This plasmonic enhancement significantly boosts the efficiency of nanoscale light-matter interactions, enabling unique linear and nonlinear optical applications. Large enhancements are often observed within narrow gaps or at sharp tips, as predicted by the classical electromagnetic theory. Only recently has it become appreciated that quantum mechanical effects could emerge as the feature size approaches atomic length-scale. Here we experimentally demonstrate, through observations of surface-enhanced Raman scattering, that the emergence of electron tunnelling at optical frequencies limits the maximum achievable plasmonic enhancement. Such quantum mechanical effects are revealed for metallic nanostructures with gap-widths in the single-digit angstrom range by correlating each structure with its optical properties. This work furthers our understanding of quantum mechanical effects in plasmonic systems and could enable future applications of quantum plasmonics.

Nanostructured surface enhanced Raman scattering substrates for explosives detection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmidt, Michael Stenbaek; Olsen, Jesper Kenneth; Boisen, Anja

2010-01-01

Here we present a method for trace detection of explosives in the gas phase using novel surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy substrates. Novel substrates that produce an exceptionally large enhancement of the Raman effect were used to amplify the Raman signal of explosives...

Theory of hyperbolic stratified nanostructures for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Herman M. K.; Dezfouli, Mohsen Kamandar; Axelrod, Simon; Hughes, Stephen; Helmy, Amr S.

2017-11-01

We theoretically investigate the enhancement of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) using hyperbolic stratified nanostructures and compare to metal nanoresonators. The photon Green function of each nanostructure within its environment is first obtained from a semianalytical modal theory, which is used in a quantum optics formalism of the molecule-nanostructure interaction to model the SERS spectrum. An intuitive methodology is presented for calculating the single-molecule enhancement factor (SMEF), which is also able to predict known experimental SERS enhancement factors of a gold nanodimer. We elucidate the important figures-of-merit of the enhancement and explore these for different designs. We find that the use of hyperbolic stratified materials can enhance the photonic local density of states (LDOS) by close to two times in comparison to pure metal nanostructures, when both designed to work at the same operating wavelengths. However, the increased LDOS is accompanied by higher electric field concentration within the lossy hyperbolic material, which leads to increased quenching that serves to reduce the overall detected SERS enhancement in the far field. For nanoresonators with resonant localized surface plasmon wavelengths in the near-infrared, the SMEF for the hyperbolic stratified nanostructure is approximately one order of magnitude lower than the pure metal counterpart. Conversely, we show that by detecting the Raman signal using a near-field probe, hyperbolic materials can provide an improvement in SERS enhancement compared to using pure metal nanostructures when the probe is sufficiently close (<50 nm ) to the Raman active molecule at the plasmonic hotspot.

High Density Periodic Metal Nanopyramids for Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jin, Mingliang

2012-01-01

The work presented in this thesis is focused on two areas. First, a new type of nanotextured noble-metal surface has been developed. The new nanotextured surface is demonstrated to enhance inelastic (Raman) scattering, called surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), from molecules adsorbed on the

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy: nonlocal limitations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toscano, Giuseppe; Raza, Søren; Xiao, Sanshui

2012-01-01

for our understanding of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The intrinsic length scale of the electron gas serves to smear out assumed field singularities, leaving the SERS enhancement factor finite, even for geometries with infinitely sharp features. For silver nanogroove structures, mimicked...

The Nanofabrication and Application of Substrates for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xian Zhang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS was discovered in 1974 and impacted Raman spectroscopy and surface science. Although SERS has not been developed to be an applicable detection tool so far, nanotechnology has promoted its development in recent decades. The traditional SERS substrates, such as silver electrode, metal island film, and silver colloid, cannot be applied because of their enhancement factor or stability, but newly developed substrates, such as electrochemical deposition surface, Ag porous film, and surface-confined colloids, have better sensitivity and stability. Surface enhanced Raman scattering is applied in other fields such as detection of chemical pollutant, biomolecules, DNA, bacteria, and so forth. In this paper, the development of nanofabrication and application of surface-enhanced Ramans scattering substrate are discussed.

Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering Substrates Made by Oblique Angle Deposition: Methods and Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hin On Chu

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy presents a rapid, non-destructive method to identify chemical and biological samples with up to single molecule sensitivity. Since its discovery in 1974, the technique has become an intense field of interdisciplinary research, typically generating >2000 publications per year since 2011. The technique relies on the localised surface plasmon resonance phenomenon, where incident light can couple with plasmons at the interface that result in the generation of an intense electric field. This field can propagate from the surface from the metal-dielectric interface, so molecules within proximity will experience more intense Raman scattering. Localised surface plasmon resonance wavelength is determined by a number of factors, such as size, geometry and material. Due to the requirements of the surface optical response, Ag and Au are typical metals used for surface enhanced Raman applications. These metals then need to have nano features that improve the localised surface plasmon resonance, several variants of these substrates exist; surfaces can range from nanoparticles in a suspension, electrochemically roughened electrodes to metal nanostructures on a substrate. The latter will be the focus of this review, particularly reviewing substrates made by oblique angle deposition. Oblique angle deposition is the technique of growing thin films so that the material flux is not normal to the surface. Films grown in this fashion will possess nanostructures, due to the atomic self-shadowing effect, that are dependent mainly on the deposition angle. Recent developments, applications and highlights of surface enhanced Raman scattering substrates made by oblique angle deposition will be reviewed.

Application of silver nanoparticles in the detection of SYBR Green I by surface enhanced Raman and surface-enhanced fluorescence

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Wei; Wu, Jian; Wang, Chunyan; Zhang, Tian; Chen, Tao

2018-05-01

Silver nanomaterials have remarkable application in biomedical detection due to their unique surface plasmon resonance (SPR) characteristics. It can be used for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF). Current research elaborates a technique for improvement of SYBR Green I detection obtained from surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF) by silver nanoparticles with the average size about 70 nm. Primarily, SYBR Green I is an important fluorescent dye used in polymerase chain reaction (PCR). It is found that both Raman and fluorescence can be used for detection of this dye. Furthermore, the enhanced efficiency of the Raman and fluorescence by SERS and SEF is observed in this study, the enhancement factor for Raman signals is 3.2 × 103, and the fluorescence intensity bincreased two times by SEF. The quantitative detection of SYBR Green I by SERS and SEF can be achieved. The present work can be used to improve the detection of SYBR Green I by SERS and SEF. It would also be employed for high-sensitive detection of other materials in the future.

Two-Dimensional Titanium Carbide (MXene) as Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarycheva, Asia [Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States); Makaryan, Taron [Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States); Maleski, Kathleen [Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States); Satheeshkumar, Elumalai [National Cheng Kung Univ., Tainan (Taiwan); National Institute of Technology-Trichy, Tamil Nadu (India); Melikyan, Armen [Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) State Univ., Yerevan (Armenia); Minassian, Hayk [A. Alikhanian National Science Lab., Yerevan (Armenia); Yoshimura, Masahiro [National Cheng Kung Univ., Tainan (Taiwan); Gogotsi, Yury G. [Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States)

2017-08-22

Here, noble metal (gold or silver) nanoparticles or patterned films are typically used as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Two-dimensional (2D) carbides and nitrides (MXenes) exhibit unique electronic and optical properties, including metallic conductivity and plasmon resonance in the visible or near-infrared range, making them promising candidates for a wide variety of applications. Herein, we show that 2D titanium carbide, Ti₃C₂T_x, enhances Raman signal from organic dyes on a substrate and in solution. As a proof of concept, MXene SERS substrates were manufactured by spray-coating and used to detect several common dyes, with calculated enhancement factors reaching ~10⁶. Titanium carbide MXene demonstrates SERS effect in aqueous colloidal solutions, suggesting the potential for biomedical or environmental applications, where MXene can selectively enhance positively charged molecules.

Plasmonic optical antenna design for performing tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kharintsev, S S; Fishman, A I; Salakhov, M Kh; Hoffmann, G G

2013-01-01

This paper highlights optical plasmonic antennas designed with dc-pulsed low-voltage electrochemical etching of a gold wire for implementing tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) measurements. We demonstrate a versatile electrochemical system that allows one to engineer TERS-active metallic gold tips with diverse shapes and sizes in a highly reproducible fashion. The underlying etching mechanism at a voltage-driven meniscus around a gold wire immersed into an electrolyte is discussed in detail. We show that the developed method is suitable to produce not only the simplest geometries such as cones and spheroids, but more complex designs. Attempts have been made to design plasmonic tapered antennas with quasi-uniformly spaced nano-sized bumps on the mesoscopic zone for the extra surface plasmon-light coupling. The capability of the patterned antenna to enhance and localize optical fields is demonstrated with near-field Raman microscopy and spectroscopy of single-walled carbon nanotubes bundles. (paper)

Development of a miRNA surface-enhanced Raman scattering assay using benchtop and handheld Raman systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Schechinger, Monika; Marks, Haley; Locke, Andrea; Choudhury, Mahua; Cote, Gerard

2018-01-01

DNA-functionalized nanoparticles, when paired with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), can rapidly detect microRNA. However, widespread use of this approach is hindered by drawbacks associated with large and expensive benchtop Raman microscopes. MicroRNA-17 (miRNA-17) has emerged as a potential epigenetic indicator of preeclampsia, a condition that occurs during pregnancy. Biomarker detection using an SERS point-of-care device could enable prompt diagnosis and prevention as early as the first trimester. Recently, strides have been made in developing portable Raman systems for field applications. An SERS assay for miRNA-17 was assessed and translated from traditional benchtop Raman microscopes to a handheld system. Three different photoactive molecules were compared as potential Raman reporter molecules: a chromophore, malachite green isothiocyanate (MGITC), a fluorophore, tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate, and a polarizable small molecule 5,5-dithio-bis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB). For the benchtop Raman microscope, the DTNB-labeled assay yielded the greatest sensitivity under 532-nm laser excitation, but the MGITC-labeled assay prevailed at 785 nm. Conversely, DTNB was preferable for the miniaturized 785-nm Raman system. This comparison showed significant SERS enhancement variation in response to 1-nM miRNA-17, implying that the sensitivity of the assay may be more heavily dependent on the excitation wavelength, instrumentation, and Raman reporter chosen than on the plasmonic coupling from DNA/miRNA-mediated nanoparticle assemblies. (2018) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

Surface-enhanced Raman effect in hybrid metal–semiconductor nanoparticle assemblies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lughi, Vanni; Bonifacio, Alois; Barbone, Matteo; Marsich, Lucia; Sergo, Valter

2013-01-01

Hybrid metal–semiconductor nanoparticles consisting of silver nanoparticle cores (AgNPs) coated with a layer of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) have been studied by Raman spectroscopy. The hybrid nanoparticles were prepared via electrostatic interaction by mixing aqueous suspensions of QDs and AgNPs, where opposite charges on the AgNPs and QDs surfaces were induced by opportunely selected capping agents. Assemblies of such hybrid nanoparticles show an increased intensity of the Raman spectrum of up to 500 times, when compared to that of the sole QDs. This enhancement is attributed to the SERS effect (Surface-enhanced Raman scattering). Such enhancement of the Raman modes suggests several opportunities for further research, both in imaging and sensing applications.

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy on a flat graphene surface

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Weigao; Ling, Xi; Xiao, Jiaqi; Dresselhaus, Mildred S.; Kong, Jing; Xu, Hongxing; Liu, Zhongfan; Zhang, Jin

2012-01-01

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an attractive analytical technique, which enables single-molecule sensitive detection and provides its special chemical fingerprints. During the past decades, researchers have made great efforts towards an ideal SERS substrate, mainly including pioneering works on the preparation of uniform metal nanostructure arrays by various nanoassembly and nanotailoring methods, which give better uniformity and reproducibility. Recently, nanoparticles coated with an inert shell were used to make the enhanced Raman signals cleaner. By depositing SERS-active metal nanoislands on an atomically flat graphene layer, here we designed a new kind of SERS substrate referred to as a graphene-mediated SERS (G-SERS) substrate. In the graphene/metal combined structure, the electromagnetic “hot” spots (which is the origin of a huge SERS enhancement) created by the gapped metal nanoislands through the localized surface plasmon resonance effect are supposed to pass through the monolayer graphene, resulting in an atomically flat hot surface for Raman enhancement. Signals from a G-SERS substrate were also demonstrated to have interesting advantages over normal SERS, in terms of cleaner vibrational information free from various metal-molecule interactions and being more stable against photo-induced damage, but with a comparable enhancement factor. Furthermore, we demonstrate the use of a freestanding, transparent and flexible “G-SERS tape” (consisting of a polymer-layer-supported monolayer graphene with sandwiched metal nanoislands) to enable direct, real time and reliable detection of trace amounts of analytes in various systems, which imparts high efficiency and universality of analyses with G-SERS substrates. PMID:22623525

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensing on black silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gervinskas, Gediminas; Seniutinas, Gediminas; Hartley, Jennifer S.; Stoddart, Paul R.; Juodkazis, Saulius; Kandasamy, Sasikaran; Fahim, Narges F.

2013-01-01

Reactive ion etching was used to fabricate black-Si over the entire surface area of 4-inch Si wafers. After 20 min of the plasma treatment, surface reflection well below 2% was achieved over the 300-1000 nm spectral range. The spikes of the black-Si substrates were coated by gold, resulting in an island film for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing. A detection limit of 1 x 10 -6 M (at count rate > 10 2 s -1 . mW -1 ) was achieved for rhodamine 6G in aqueous solution when drop cast onto a ∝ 100-nm-thick Au coating. The sensitivity increases for thicker coatings. A mixed mobile-on-immobile platform for SERS sensing is introduced by using dog-bone Au nanoparticles on the Au/black-Si substrate. The SERS intensity shows a non-linear dependence on the solid angle (numerical aperture of excitation/collection optics) for a thick gold coating that exhibits a 10 times higher enhancement. This shows promise for augmented sensitivity in SERS applications. (copyright 2013 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Flexible Microsphere-Embedded Film for Microsphere-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Cheng; Yan, Yinzhou; Feng, Chao; Xu, Jiayu; Dong, Peng; Guan, Wei; Zeng, Yong; Zhao, Yan; Jiang, Yijian

2017-09-27

Dielectric microspheres with extraordinary microscale optical properties, such as photonic nanojets, optical whispering-gallery modes (WGMs), and directional antennas, have drawn interest in many research fields. Microsphere-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (MERS) is an alternative approach for enhanced Raman detection by dielectric microstructures. Unfortunately, fabrication of microsphere monolayer arrays is the major challenge of MERS for practical applications on various specimen surfaces. Here we report a microsphere-embedded film (MF) by immersing a highly refractive microsphere monolayer array in the poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) film as a flexible MERS sensing platform for one- to three-dimensional (1D to 3D) specimen surfaces. The directional antennas and wave-guided whispering-gallery modes (WG-WGMs) contribute to the majority of Raman enhancement by the MFs. Moreover, the MF can be coupled with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to provide an extra >10-fold enhancement. The limit of detection is therefore improved for sensing of crystal violet (CV) and Sudan I molecules in aqueous solutions at concentrations down to 10 -7 M. A hybrid dual-layer microsphere enhancer, constructed by depositing a MF onto a microsphere monolayer array, is also demonstrated, wherein the WG-WGMs become dominant and boost the enhancement ratio >50-fold. The present work opens up new opportunities for design of cost-effective and flexible MERS sensing platforms as individual or associated techniques toward practical applications in ultrasensitive Raman detection.

Dynamic placement of plasmonic hotspots for super-resolution surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Ertsgaard, Christopher T; McKoskey, Rachel M; Rich, Isabel S; Lindquist, Nathan C

2014-10-28

In this paper, we demonstrate dynamic placement of locally enhanced plasmonic fields using holographic laser illumination of a silver nanohole array. To visualize these focused "hotspots", the silver surface was coated with various biological samples for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) imaging. Due to the large field enhancements, blinking behavior of the SERS hotspots was observed and processed using a stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy algorithm enabling super-resolution localization of the hotspots to within 10 nm. These hotspots were then shifted across the surface in subwavelength (hotspots. Using this technique, we also show that such subwavelength shifting and localization of plasmonic hotspots has potential for imaging applications. Interestingly, illuminating the surface with randomly shifting SERS hotspots was sufficient to completely fill in a wide field of view for super-resolution chemical imaging.

Raman selection rule of surface optical phonon in ZnS nanobelts

KAUST Repository

Ho, Chih-Hsiang

2016-02-18

We report Raman scattering results of high-quality wurtzite ZnS nanobelts (NBs) grown by chemical vapor deposition. In Raman spectrum, the ensembles of ZnS NBs exhibit first order phonon modes at 274 cm-1 and 350 cm-1, corresponding to A1/E1 transverse optical and A1/E1 longitudinal optical phonons, in addition with strong surface optical (SO) phonon mode at 329 cm-1. The existence of SO band is confirmed by its shift with different surrounding dielectric media. Polarization dependent Raman spectrum was performed on a single ZnS NB and for the first time SO phonon band has been detected on a single nanobelt. Different selection rules of SO phonon modeshown from their corresponding E1/A1 phonon modeswere attributed to the anisotropic translational symmetry breaking on the NB surface.

Raman selection rule of surface optical phonon in ZnS nanobelts

KAUST Repository

Ho, Chih-Hsiang; Varadhan, Purushothaman; Wang, Hsin-Hua; Chen, Cheng-Ying; Fang, Xiaosheng; He, Jr-Hau

2016-01-01

We report Raman scattering results of high-quality wurtzite ZnS nanobelts (NBs) grown by chemical vapor deposition. In Raman spectrum, the ensembles of ZnS NBs exhibit first order phonon modes at 274 cm-1 and 350 cm-1, corresponding to A1/E1 transverse optical and A1/E1 longitudinal optical phonons, in addition with strong surface optical (SO) phonon mode at 329 cm-1. The existence of SO band is confirmed by its shift with different surrounding dielectric media. Polarization dependent Raman spectrum was performed on a single ZnS NB and for the first time SO phonon band has been detected on a single nanobelt. Different selection rules of SO phonon modeshown from their corresponding E1/A1 phonon modeswere attributed to the anisotropic translational symmetry breaking on the NB surface.

Fiber optic probe enabled by surface-enhanced Raman scattering for early diagnosis of potential acute rejection of kidney transplant

Science.gov (United States)

Chi, Jingmao; Chen, Hui; Tolias, Peter; Du, Henry

2014-06-01

We have explored the use of a fiber-optic probe with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing modality for early, noninvasive and, rapid diagnosis of potential renal acute rejection (AR) and other renal graft dysfunction of kidney transplant patients. Multimode silica optical fiber immobilized with colloidal Ag nanoparticles at the distal end was used for SERS measurements of as-collected urine samples at 632.8 nm excitation wavelength. All patients with abnormal renal graft function (3 AR episodes and 2 graft failure episodes) who were clinically diagnosed independently show common unique SERS spectral features in the urines collected just one day after transplant. SERS-based fiber-optic probe has excellent potential to be a bedside tool for early diagnosis of kidney transplant patients for timely medical intervention of patients at high risk of transplant dysfunction.

Optical nanoantennas for multiband surface-enhanced infrared and raman spectroscopy

KAUST Repository

D'Andrea, Cristiano; Bochterle, Jö rg; Toma, Andrea; Huck, Christian W.; Neubrech, Frank; Messina, Elena; Fazio, Barbara; Maragó , Onofrio M.; Di Fabrizio, Enzo M.; Lamy De La Chapelle, Marc L.; Gucciardi, Pietro Giuseppe; Pucci, Annemarie

2013-01-01

In this article we show that linear nanoantennas can be used as shared substrates for surface-enhanced Raman and infrared spectroscopy (SERS and SEIRS, respectively). This is done by engineering the plasmonic properties of the nanoantennas, so to make them resonant in both the visible (transversal resonance) and the infrared (longitudinal resonance), and by rotating the excitation field polarization to selectively take advantage of each resonance and achieve SERS and SEIRS on the same nanoantennas. As a proof of concept, we have fabricated gold nanoantennas by electron beam lithography on calcium difluoride (1-2 μm long, 60 nm wide, 60 nm high) that exhibit a transverse plasmonic resonance in the visible (640 nm) and a particularly strong longitudinal dipolar resonance in the infrared (tunable in the 1280-3100 cm -1 energy range as a function of the length). SERS and SEIRS detection of methylene blue molecules adsorbed on the nanoantenna's surface is accomplished, with signal enhancement factors of 5 × 102 for SERS (electromagnetic enhancement) and up to 105 for SEIRS. Notably, we find that the field enhancement provided by the transverse resonance is sufficient to achieve SERS from single nanoantennas. Furthermore, we show that by properly tuning the nanoantenna length the signals of a multitude of vibrational modes can be enhanced with SEIRS. This simple concept of plasmonic nanosensor is highly suitable for integration on lab-on-a-chip schemes for label-free chemical and biomolecular identification with optimized performances. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Charge Transfer Effect on Raman and Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of Furfural Molecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Fu; Shi, Haiyang; Chen, Weigen; Gu, Zhaoliang; Du, Lingling; Wang, Pinyi; Wang, Jianxin; Huang, Yingzhou

2017-08-02

The detection of furfural in transformer oil through surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is one of the most promising online monitoring techniques in the process of transformer aging. In this work, the Raman of individual furfural molecules and SERS of furfural-M x (M = Ag, Au, Cu) complexes are investigated through density functional theory (DFT). In the Raman spectrum of individual furfural molecules, the vibration mode of each Raman peak is figured out, and the deviation from experimental data is analyzed by surface charge distribution. In the SERS of furfural-M x complexes, the influence of atom number and species on SERS chemical enhancement factors (EFs) are studied, and are further analyzed by charge transfer effect. Our studies strengthen the understanding of charge transfer effect in the SERS of furfural molecules, which is important in the online monitoring of the transformer aging process through SERS.

Exploring the chemical enhancement for surface-enhanced Raman scattering with Au bowtie nanoantennas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fromm, David P.; Sundaramurthy, Arvind; Kinkhabwala, Anika; Schuck, P. James; Kino, Gordon S.; Moerner, W.E.

2006-01-01

Single metallic bowtie nanoantennas provide a controllable environment for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of adsorbed molecules. Bowties have experimentally measured electromagnetic enhancements, enabling estimation of chemical enhancement for both the bulk and the few-molecule regime. Strong fluctuations of selected Raman lines imply that a small number of p-mercaptoaniline molecules on a single bowtie show chemical enhancement >10 7 , much larger than previously believed, likely due to charge transfer between the Au surface and the molecule. This chemical sensitivity of SERS has significant implications for ultra-sensitive detection of single molecules

Through tissue imaging of a live breast cancer tumour model using handheld surface enhanced spatially offset resonance Raman spectroscopy (SESORRS).

Science.gov (United States)

Nicolson, Fay; Jamieson, Lauren E; Mabbott, Samuel; Plakas, Konstantinos; Shand, Neil C; Detty, Michael R; Graham, Duncan; Faulds, Karen

2018-04-21

In order to improve patient survival and reduce the amount of unnecessary and traumatic biopsies, non-invasive detection of cancerous tumours is of imperative and urgent need. Multicellular tumour spheroids (MTS) can be used as an ex vivo cancer tumour model, to model in vivo nanoparticle (NP) uptake by the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. Surface enhanced spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SESORS) combines both surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) to yield enhanced Raman signals at much greater sub-surface levels. By utilizing a reporter that has an electronic transition in resonance with the laser frequency, surface enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) yields even greater enhancement in Raman signal. Using a handheld SORS spectrometer with back scattering optics, we demonstrate the detection of live breast cancer 3D MTS containing SERRS active NPs through 15 mm of porcine tissue. False color 2D heat intensity maps were used to determine tumour model location. In addition, we demonstrate the tracking of SERRS-active NPs through porcine tissue to depths of up to 25 mm. This unprecedented performance is due to the use of red-shifted chalcogenpyrylium-based Raman reporters to demonstrate the novel technique of surface enhanced spatially offset resonance Raman spectroscopy (SESORRS) for the first time. Our results demonstrate a significant step forward in the ability to detect vibrational fingerprints from a tumour model at depth through tissue. Such an approach offers significant promise for the translation of NPs into clinical applications for non-invasive disease diagnostics based on this new chemical principle of measurement.

Three-dimensional hybrid silicon nanostructures for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy based molecular detection

Science.gov (United States)

Vendamani, V. S.; Nageswara Rao, S. V. S.; Venugopal Rao, S.; Kanjilal, D.; Pathak, A. P.

2018-01-01

Three-dimensional silver nanoparticles decorated vertically aligned Si nanowires (Si NWs) are effective surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates for molecular detection at low concentration levels. The length of Si NWs prepared by silver assisted electroless etching is increased with an increase in etching time, which resulted in the reduced optical reflection in the visible region. These substrates were tested and optimized by measuring the Raman spectrum of standard dye Rhodamine 6G (R6G) of 10 nM concentration. Further, effective SERS enhancements of ˜105 and ˜104 were observed for the cytosine protein (concentration of 50 μM) and ammonium perchlorate (oxidizer used in explosives composition with a concentration of 10 μM), respectively. It is established that these three-dimensional SERS substrates yielded considerably higher enhancement factors for the detection of R6G when compared to previous reports. The sensitivity can further be increased and optimized since the Raman enhancement was found to increase with an increase in the density of silver nanoparticles decorated on the walls of Si NWs.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

IAS Admin

weak Raman signal, which facilitates identification in chemi- cal and biological systems. Recently, single-molecule Raman scattering has enhanced the detection sensitivity limit of ... was working on the molecular diffraction of light, which ulti-.

High surface enhanced Raman scattering activity of BN nanosheets–Ag nanoparticles hybrids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Shanshan; Zhang, Zhaochun; Zhao, Jun; Zheng, Houli

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Boron nitride–silver nanohybrid was acquired through a liquid-phase reducing route. • The composite shown a high-quality SERS activity. • 2-Mercaptobenzimidazole was chemisorbed on silver surface in vertical orientation. -- Abstract: A facile liquid-phase reducing route was developed to modify boron nitride (BN) nanosheets with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in order to fabricate BN–AgNPs hybrids with high surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity. The layered structure and morphology of BN–AgNPs nanohybrids were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, meanwhile, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ultraviolet–visible were used for studying optical properties and surface plasmon resonance applied to the optical sensor. The SERS of adsorbed 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (MBI) molecule was investigated which shown that the BN–AgNPs substrate exhibited a very strong SERS activity, offering a great potential application in molecular probe sensor. On the basis of the analysis of SERS and the Raman surface selection rules, we could draw a conclusion that the MBI molecule was adsorbed upright on the AgNPs surface through the sulphur and nitrogen atoms. What is more, the cyclic voltammetry experiment indicated the electrochemically irreversible behavior of BN–AgNPs nanohybrids in KCl solution

Optical nanoantennas for multiband surface-enhanced infrared and raman spectroscopy

KAUST Repository

D'Andrea, Cristiano

2013-04-23

In this article we show that linear nanoantennas can be used as shared substrates for surface-enhanced Raman and infrared spectroscopy (SERS and SEIRS, respectively). This is done by engineering the plasmonic properties of the nanoantennas, so to make them resonant in both the visible (transversal resonance) and the infrared (longitudinal resonance), and by rotating the excitation field polarization to selectively take advantage of each resonance and achieve SERS and SEIRS on the same nanoantennas. As a proof of concept, we have fabricated gold nanoantennas by electron beam lithography on calcium difluoride (1-2 μm long, 60 nm wide, 60 nm high) that exhibit a transverse plasmonic resonance in the visible (640 nm) and a particularly strong longitudinal dipolar resonance in the infrared (tunable in the 1280-3100 cm -1 energy range as a function of the length). SERS and SEIRS detection of methylene blue molecules adsorbed on the nanoantenna\\'s surface is accomplished, with signal enhancement factors of 5 × 102 for SERS (electromagnetic enhancement) and up to 105 for SEIRS. Notably, we find that the field enhancement provided by the transverse resonance is sufficient to achieve SERS from single nanoantennas. Furthermore, we show that by properly tuning the nanoantenna length the signals of a multitude of vibrational modes can be enhanced with SEIRS. This simple concept of plasmonic nanosensor is highly suitable for integration on lab-on-a-chip schemes for label-free chemical and biomolecular identification with optimized performances. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensing on black silicon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gervinskas, Gediminas; Seniutinas, Gediminas; Hartley, Jennifer S.; Stoddart, Paul R.; Juodkazis, Saulius [Centre for Micro-Photonics and Industrial Research Institute Swinburne, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC (Australia); The Australian National Fabrication Facility-ANFF, Victoria node, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC (Australia); Kandasamy, Sasikaran [Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication, Clayton, VIC (Australia); Fahim, Narges F. [Centre for Micro-Photonics and Industrial Research Institute Swinburne, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC (Australia)

2013-12-15

Reactive ion etching was used to fabricate black-Si over the entire surface area of 4-inch Si wafers. After 20 min of the plasma treatment, surface reflection well below 2% was achieved over the 300-1000 nm spectral range. The spikes of the black-Si substrates were coated by gold, resulting in an island film for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing. A detection limit of 1 x 10{sup -6} M (at count rate > 10{sup 2} s{sup -1}. mW{sup -1}) was achieved for rhodamine 6G in aqueous solution when drop cast onto a {proportional_to} 100-nm-thick Au coating. The sensitivity increases for thicker coatings. A mixed mobile-on-immobile platform for SERS sensing is introduced by using dog-bone Au nanoparticles on the Au/black-Si substrate. The SERS intensity shows a non-linear dependence on the solid angle (numerical aperture of excitation/collection optics) for a thick gold coating that exhibits a 10 times higher enhancement. This shows promise for augmented sensitivity in SERS applications. (copyright 2013 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Effect of surface density silver nanoplate films toward surface-enhanced Raman scattering enhancement for bisphenol A detection

Science.gov (United States)

Bakar, N. A.; Salleh, M. M.; Umar, A. A.; Shapter, J. G.

2018-03-01

This paper reports a study on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) phenomenon of triangular silver nanoplate (NP) films towards bisphenol A (BPA) detection. The NP films were prepared using self-assembly technique with four different immersion times; 1 hour, 2 hours, 5 hours, and 8 hours. The SERS measurement was studied by observing the changes in Raman spectra of BPA after BPA absorbed on the NP films. It was found that the Raman intensity of BPA peaks was enhanced by using the prepared SERS substrates. This is clearly indicated that these SERS silver substrates are suitable to sense industrial chemical and potentially used as SERS detector. However, the rate of SERS enhancement is depended on the distribution of NP on the substrate surface.

Resonant surface-enhanced Raman scattering by optical phonons in a monolayer of CdSe nanocrystals on Au nanocluster arrays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Milekhin, Alexander G., E-mail: milekhin@isp.nsc.ru [A.V. Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, pr. Lavrentjeva, 13, 630090 Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Novosibirsk State University, Pirogov str. 2, 630090 Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Sveshnikova, Larisa L.; Duda, Tatyana A. [A.V. Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, pr. Lavrentjeva, 13, 630090 Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Rodyakina, Ekaterina E. [A.V. Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, pr. Lavrentjeva, 13, 630090 Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Novosibirsk State University, Pirogov str. 2, 630090 Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Dzhagan, Volodymyr M. [Semiconductor Physics, Technische Universität Chemnitz, D-09107 Chemnitz (Germany); Sheremet, Evgeniya [Solid Surfaces Analysis, Technische Universität Chemnitz, D-09107 Chemnitz (Germany); Gordan, Ovidiu D. [Semiconductor Physics, Technische Universität Chemnitz, D-09107 Chemnitz (Germany); Himcinschi, Cameliu [Institut für Theoretische Physik, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, 09596 Freiberg (Germany); Latyshev, Alexander V. [A.V. Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, pr. Lavrentjeva, 13, 630090 Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Novosibirsk State University, Pirogov str. 2, 630090 Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Zahn, Dietrich R.T. [Semiconductor Physics, Technische Universität Chemnitz, D-09107 Chemnitz (Germany)

2016-05-01

Highlights: • Regular Au nanocluster and dimer arrays as well as single Au dimers are fabricated. • Resonant SERS by monolayers of CdSe nanocrystals deposited on the Au nanostructures is observed. • LO energy change for CdSe NCs on different single Au dimers indicates SERS by single or a few NCs. - Abstract: Here we present the results on an investigation of resonant Stokes and anti- Stokes surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) by optical phonons in colloidal CdSe nanocrystals (NCs) homogeneously deposited on arrays of Au nanoclusters using the Langmuir–Blodgett technology. The thickness of deposited NCs, determined by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, amounts to approximately 1 monolayer. Special attention is paid to the determination of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) energy in the arrays of Au nanoclusters as a function of the nanocluster size by means of micro-ellipsometry. SERS by optical phonons in CdSe NCs shows a significant enhancement factor with a maximal value of 2 × 10{sup 3} which depends resonantly on the Au nanocluster size and thus on the LSPR energy. The deposition of CdSe NCs on the arrays of Au nanocluster dimers enabled us to study the polarization dependence of SERS. It was found that a maximal SERS signal is observed for the light polarization along the dimer axis. Finally, SERS by optical phonons was observed for CdSe NCs deposited on the structures with a single Au dimer. A difference of the LO phonon energy is observed for CdSe NCs on different single dimers. This effect is explained as the confinement-induced shift which depends on the CdSe nanocrystal size and indicates quasi-single NC Raman spectra being obtained.

Bare and protected sputtered-noble-metal films for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Talaga, David; Bonhommeau, Sébastien

2014-11-01

Sputtered silver and gold films with different surface morphologies have been prepared and coated with a benzenethiol self-assembled monolayer. Rough noble metal films showed strong Raman features assigned to adsorbed benzenethiol molecules upon irradiation over a wide energy range in the visible spectrum, which disclosed the occurrence of a significant surface-enhanced Raman scattering with maximal enhancement factors as high as 6 × 106. In addition, the adsorption of ethanethiol onto silver surfaces hinders their corrosion over days while preserving mostly intact enhancement properties of naked silver. This study may be applied to develop stable and efficient metalized probes for tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Integrated Centrifugal Microfluidics Platform

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Durucan, Onur

This PhD thesis demonstrates (i) centrifugal microfluidics disc platform integrated with Au capped nanopillar (NP) substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based sensing, and (ii) novel sample analysis concepts achieved by synergistical combination of sensing techniques and minia......This PhD thesis demonstrates (i) centrifugal microfluidics disc platform integrated with Au capped nanopillar (NP) substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based sensing, and (ii) novel sample analysis concepts achieved by synergistical combination of sensing techniques...... dense array of NP structures. Furthermore, the wicking assisted nanofiltration procedure was accomplished in centrifugal microfluidics platform and as a result additional sample purification was achieved through the centrifugation process. In this way, the Au coated NP substrate was utilized...

Applications of the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Picquart, M.; Haro P, E.; Bernard, S.

2007-01-01

Full text: Vibration spectroscopy techniques are used for many times to identify substances, determine molecular structure and quantify them, independently of their physical state. Raman spectroscopy as infrared absorption permit to access the vibration energy levels of molecules. In the second case, the permanent dipolar moment is involved while in the first one it is the polarizability (and the induced dipolar moment). Unfortunately, the classical Raman spectroscopy is low sensitive in particular in the case of biological molecules. On the opposite, the surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) offers great potentialities. In this case, the molecules are adsorbed on a rough surface or on nanoparticles of gold or silver and the: signal can be increased by a factor of 10 7 to 10 8 . Moreover, the spectral enhancement is greater for the vibrations of the functional group of the molecule adsorbed on the substrate. In this work, we present the main theoretical bases of SERS, and some results obtain on different systems. (Author)

Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering in Molecular Junctions.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwane, Madoka; Fujii, Shintaro; Kiguchi, Manabu

2017-08-18

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a surface-sensitive vibrational spectroscopy that allows Raman spectroscopy on a single molecular scale. Here, we present a review of SERS from molecular junctions, in which a single molecule or molecules are made to have contact from the top to the bottom of metal surfaces. The molecular junctions are nice platforms for SERS as well as transport measurement. Electronic characterization based on the transport measurements of molecular junctions has been extensively studied for the development of miniaturized electronic devices. Simultaneous SERS and transport measurement of the molecular junctions allow both structural (geometrical) and electronic information on the single molecule scale. The improvement of SERS measurement on molecular junctions open the door toward new nanoscience and nanotechnology in molecular electronics.

Wavelength modulated surface enhanced (resonance) Raman scattering for background-free detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Praveen, Bavishna B; Steuwe, Christian; Mazilu, Michael; Dholakia, Kishan; Mahajan, Sumeet

2013-05-21

Spectra in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) are always accompanied by a continuum emission called the 'background' which complicates analysis and is especially problematic for quantification and automation. Here, we implement a wavelength modulation technique to eliminate the background in SERS and its resonant version, surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS). This is demonstrated on various nanostructured substrates used for SER(R)S. An enhancement in the signal to noise ratio for the Raman bands of the probe molecules is also observed. This technique helps to improve the analytical ability of SERS by alleviating the problem due to the accompanying background and thus making observations substrate independent.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy based on conical holed enhancing substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Yao; Chen, Zeng-Ping; Zuo, Qi; Shi, Cai-Xia; Yu, Ru-Qin

2015-01-01

In this contribution, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based on conical holed glass substrates deposited with silver colloids was reported for the first time. It combines the advantages of both dry SERS assays based on plane films deposited with silver colloids and wet SERS assays utilizing cuvettes or capillary tubes. Compared with plane glass substrates deposited with silver colloids, the conical holed glass substrates deposited with silver colloids exhibited five-to ten-folds of increase in the rate of signal enhancement, due to the internal multiple reflections of both the excitation laser beam and the Raman scattering photons within conical holes. The application of conical holed glass substrates could also yield significantly stronger and more reproducible SERS signals than SERS assays utilizing capillary tubes to sample the mixture of silver colloids and the solution of the analyte of interest. The conical holed glass substrates in combination with the multiplicative effects model for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (MEM SERS ) achieved quite sensitive and precise quantification of 6-mercaptopurine in complex plasma samples with an average relative prediction error of about 4% and a limit of detection of about 0.02 μM using a portable i-Raman 785H spectrometer. It is reasonable to expect that SERS technique based on conical holed enhancing substrates in combination with MEM SERS model can be developed and extended to other application areas such as drug detection, environmental monitoring, and clinic analysis, etc. - Highlights: • A novel conical holed SERS enhancing substrate was designed and manufactured. • The optimal conical holed glass substrates can produce stronger SERS signal. • The novel substrates can overcome the shortcomings of both dry and wet methods. • The novel substrates coupled with MEM SERS can realize quantitative SERS assays

Coupled wave equations theory of surface-enhanced femtosecond stimulated Raman scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

McAnally, Michael O; McMahon, Jeffrey M; Van Duyne, Richard P; Schatz, George C

2016-09-07

We present a coupled wave semiclassical theory to describe plasmonic enhancement effects in surface-enhanced femtosecond stimulated Raman scattering (SE-FSRS). A key result is that the plasmon enhanced fields which drive the vibrational equation of motion for each normal mode results in dispersive lineshapes in the SE-FSRS spectrum. This result, which reproduces experimental lineshapes, demonstrates that plasmon-enhanced stimulated Raman methods provide unique sensitivity to a plasmonic response. Our derived SE-FSRS theory shows a plasmonic enhancement of |gpu|(2)ImχR(ω)gst (2)/ImχR(ω), where |gpu|(2) is the absolute square of the plasmonic enhancement from the Raman pump, χR(ω) is the Raman susceptibility, and gst is the plasmonic enhancement of the Stokes field in SE-FSRS. We conclude with a discussion on potential future experimental and theoretical directions for the field of plasmonically enhanced coherent Raman scattering.

Electromagnetic theories of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Song-Yuan; You, En-Ming; Tian, Zhong-Qun; Moskovits, Martin

2017-07-07

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and related spectroscopies are powered primarily by the concentration of the electromagnetic (EM) fields associated with light in or near appropriately nanostructured electrically-conducting materials, most prominently, but not exclusively high-conductivity metals such as silver and gold. This field concentration takes place on account of the excitation of surface-plasmon (SP) resonances in the nanostructured conductor. Optimizing nanostructures for SERS, therefore, implies optimizing the ability of plasmonic nanostructures to concentrate EM optical fields at locations where molecules of interest reside, and to enhance the radiation efficiency of the oscillating dipoles associated with these molecules and nanostructures. This review summarizes the development of theories over the past four decades pertinent to SERS, especially those contributing to our current understanding of SP-related SERS. Special emphasis is given to the salient strategies and theoretical approaches for optimizing nanostructures with hotspots as efficient EM near-field concentrating and far-field radiating substrates for SERS. A simple model is described in terms of which the upper limit of the SERS enhancement can be estimated. Several experimental strategies that may allow one to approach, or possibly exceed this limit, such as cascading the enhancement of the local and radiated EM field by the multiscale EM coupling of hierarchical structures, and generating hotspots by hybridizing an antenna mode with a plasmonic waveguide cavity mode, which would result in an increased local field enhancement, are discussed. Aiming to significantly broaden the application of SERS to other fields, and especially to material science, we consider hybrid structures of plasmonic nanostructures and other material phases and strategies for producing strong local EM fields at desired locations in such hybrid structures. In this vein, we consider some of the numerical

Nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced raman scattering and methods related thereto

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, Tiziana C; Miles, Robin; Davidson, James; Liu, Gang Logan

2015-11-03

Methods for fabricating nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced Raman scattering, structures thus obtained, and methods to characterize the nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced Raman scattering. Nanoscale array structures may comprise nanotrees, nanorecesses and tapered nanopillars.

Nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced raman scattering and methods related thereto

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, Tiziana C.; Miles, Robin; Davidson, James C.; Liu, Gang Logan

2014-07-22

Methods for fabricating nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced Raman scattering, structures thus obtained, and methods to characterize the nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced Raman scattering. Nanoscale array structures may comprise nanotrees, nanorecesses and tapered nanopillars.

Nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced raman scattering and methods related thereto

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, Tiziana C.; Miles, Robin; Davidson, James C.; Liu, Gang Logan

2015-07-14

Methods for fabricating nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced Raman scattering, structures thus obtained, and methods to characterize the nanoscale array structures suitable for surface enhanced Raman scattering. Nanoscale array structures may comprise nanotrees, nanorecesses and tapered nanopillars.

Investigating Nanoscale Electrochemistry with Surface- and Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaleski, Stephanie; Wilson, Andrew J; Mattei, Michael; Chen, Xu; Goubert, Guillaume; Cardinal, M Fernanda; Willets, Katherine A; Van Duyne, Richard P

2016-09-20

The chemical sensitivity of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) methodologies allows for the investigation of heterogeneous chemical reactions with high sensitivity. Specifically, SERS methodologies are well-suited to study electron transfer (ET) reactions, which lie at the heart of numerous fundamental processes: electrocatalysis, solar energy conversion, energy storage in batteries, and biological events such as photosynthesis. Heterogeneous ET reactions are commonly monitored by electrochemical methods such as cyclic voltammetry, observing billions of electrochemical events per second. Since the first proof of detecting single molecules by redox cycling, there has been growing interest in examining electrochemistry at the nanoscale and single-molecule levels. Doing so unravels details that would otherwise be obscured by an ensemble experiment. The use of optical spectroscopies, such as SERS, to elucidate nanoscale electrochemical behavior is an attractive alternative to traditional approaches such as scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). While techniques such as single-molecule fluorescence or electrogenerated chemiluminescence have been used to optically monitor electrochemical events, SERS methodologies, in particular, have shown great promise for exploring electrochemistry at the nanoscale. SERS is ideally suited to study nanoscale electrochemistry because the Raman-enhancing metallic, nanoscale substrate duly serves as the working electrode material. Moreover, SERS has the ability to directly probe single molecules without redox cycling and can achieve nanoscale spatial resolution in combination with super-resolution or scanning probe microscopies. This Account summarizes the latest progress from the Van Duyne and Willets groups toward understanding nanoelectrochemistry using Raman spectroscopic methodologies. The first half of this Account highlights three techniques that have been recently used to probe few- or single-molecule electrochemical

Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of Ethephone Adsorbed on Silver Surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Chul Jae; Kim, Hee Jin; Karim, Mohammad Rezaul; Lee, Mu Sang

2006-01-01

We investigated the Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) spectrum of ethephone (2- chloroethylphosphonic acid). We observed significant signals in the ordinary Raman spectrum for solid-state ethephone as well as when it was adsorbed on a colloidal silver surface, strong vibrational signals were obtained at a very low concentration. The SERS spectra were obtained by silver colloids that were prepared by the γ - irradiation method. The influence of pH and the influence of anion (Cl - , Br - , I - ) on the adsorption orientation were investigated. Two different adsorption mechanisms were deduced, depending on the experimental conditions. The chlorine atom or the chlorine and two oxygen atoms were adsorbed on the colloidal silver surface. Among halide ions, Br - and I - were more strongly adsorbed on the colloidal silver surfaces. As a result, the adsorption of ethephone was less effective due to their steric hinderance

Magnetic Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-Au core-shell nanostructures for surface enhanced Raman scattering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wheeler, D.A.; Adams, S.A.; Zhang, J.Z. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Lopez-Luke, T. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Cento de Investigaciones en Optica, A.P. 1-948 Leon, Gto. 37150 (Mexico); Torres-Castro, A. [Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, A.P. 126-F, Monterrey, NL, 66450 (Mexico)

2012-11-15

The synthesis, structural and optical characterization, and application of superparamagnetic and water-dispersed Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-Au core-shell nanoparticles for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is reported. The structure of the nanoparticles was determined by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). STEM images of the Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-Au core-shell nanoparticles reveal an average diameter of 120 nm and a high degree of surface roughness. The nanoparticles, which display superparamagnetic properties due to the core Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} material, exhibit a visible surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peaked at 580 nm due to the outer gold shell. The nanoparticles are used as a substrate for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) with rhodamine 6G (R6G) as a Raman reporter molecule. The SERS enhancement factor is estimated to be on the order of 10{sup 6}, which is {proportional_to} 2 times larger than that of conventional gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) under similar conditions. Significantly, magnetically-induced aggregation of the Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-Au core-shell nanoparticles substantially enhanced SERS activity compared to non-magnetically-aggregated Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-Au nanoparticles. This is attributed to both increased scattering from the aggregates as well as ''hot spots'' due to more junction sites in the magnetically-induced aggregates. The magnetic properties of the Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} core, coupled with the optical properties of the Au shell, make the Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-Au nanoparticles unique for various potential applications including biological sensing and therapy. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Plasmonic Colloidal Nanoantennas for Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectrocopy

Science.gov (United States)

Dill, Tyler J.

Plasmonic nanoantennas that a support localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) are capable of confining visible light to subwavelength dimensions due to strong electromagnetic field enhancement at the probe tip. Nanoantenna enable optical methods such as tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), a technique that uses scanning probe microscopy tips to provide chemical information with nanoscale spatial resolution and single-molecule sensitivities. The LSPR supported by the probe tip is extremely sensitive to the nanoscale morphology of the nanoantenna. Control of nanoscale morphology is notoriously difficult to achieve, resulting in TERS probes with poor reproducibility. In my thesis, I demonstrate high-performance, predictable, and broadband nanospectroscopy probes that are fabricated by self-assembly. Shaped metal nanoparticles are organized into dense layers and deposited onto scanning probe tips. When coupled to a metal substrate, these probes support a strong optical resonance in the gap between the substrate and the probe, producing dramatic field enhancements. I show through experiment and electromagnetic modeling that close-packed but electrically isolated nanoparticles are electromagnetically coupled. Hybridized LSPRs supported by self-assembled nanoparticles with a broadband optical response, giving colloidal nanoantenna a high tolerance for geometric variation resulting from fabrication. I find that coupled nanoparticles act as a waveguide, transferring energy from many neighboring nanoparticles towards the active TERS apex. I also use surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to characterize the effects of nanoparticle polydispersity and gap height on the Raman enhancement. These colloidal probes have consistently achieved dramatic Raman enhancements in the range of 108-109 with sub-50 nm spatial resolution. Furthermore, in contrast to other nanospectroscopy probes, these colloidal probes can be fabricated in a scalable fashion with a batch

Engineering Plasmonic Nanopillar Arrays for Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Kaiyu

This Ph.D. thesis presents (i) an in-depth understanding of the localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) in the nanopillar arrays (NPs) for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), and (ii) systematic ways of optimizing the fabrication process of NPs to improve their SERS efficiencies. Thi...

Shape-dependent surface-enhanced Raman scattering in gold–Raman-probe–silica sandwiched nanoparticles for biocompatible applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Ming; Cushing, Scott K; Lankford, Jessica; Wu, Nianqiang; Zhang Jianming; Ma Dongling; Aguilar, Zoraida P

2012-01-01

To meet the requirement of Raman probes (labels) for biocompatible applications, a synthetic approach has been developed to sandwich the Raman-probe (malachite green isothiocyanate, MGITC) molecules between the gold core and the silica shell in gold–SiO 2 composite nanoparticles. The gold–MGITC–SiO 2 sandwiched structure not only prevents the Raman probe from leaking out but also improves the solubility of the nanoparticles in organic solvents and in aqueous solutions even with high ionic strength. To amplify the Raman signal, three types of core, gold nanospheres, nanorods and nanostars, have been chosen as the substrates of the Raman probe. The effect of the core shape on the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been investigated. The colloidal nanostars showed the highest SERS enhancement factor while the nanospheres possessed the lowest SERS activity under excitation with 532 and 785 nm lasers. Three-dimensional finite-difference time domain (FDTD) simulation showed significant differences in the local electromagnetic field distributions surrounding the nanospheres, nanorods, and nanostars, which were induced by the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). The electromagnetic field was enhanced remarkably around the two ends of the nanorods and around the sharp tips of the nanostars. This local electromagnetic enhancement made the dominant contribution to the SERS enhancement. Both the experiments and the simulation revealed the order nanostars > nanorods > nanospheres in terms of the enhancement factor. Finally, the biological application of the nanostar–MGITC–SiO 2 nanoparticles has been demonstrated in the monitoring of DNA hybridization. In short, the gold–MGITC–SiO 2 sandwiched nanoparticles can be used as a Raman probe that features high sensitivity, good water solubility and stability, low-background fluorescence, and the absence of photobleaching for future biological applications. (paper)

Laser writing of single-crystalline gold substrates for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Astha; Sharma, Geeta; Ranjan, Neeraj; Mittholiya, Kshitij; Bhatnagar, Anuj; Singh, B. P.; Mathur, Deepak; Vasa, Parinda

2017-07-01

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy, a powerful contemporary tool for studying low-concentration analytes via surface plasmon induced enhancement of local electric field, is of utility in biochemistry, material science, threat detection, and environmental studies. We have developed a simple, fast, scalable, and relatively low-cost optical method of fabricating and characterizing large-area, reusable and broadband SERS substrates with long storage lifetime. We use tightly focused, intense infra-red laser pulses to write gratings on single-crystalline, Au (1 1 1) gold films on mica which act as SERS substrates. Our single-crystalline SERS substrates compare favourably, in terms of surface quality and roughness, to those fabricated in poly-crystalline Au films. Tests show that our SERS substrates have the potential of detecting urea and 1,10-phenantroline adulterants in milk and water, respectively, at 0.01 ppm (or lower) concentrations.

Surface enhanced raman spectroscopy analytical, biophysical and life science applications

CERN Document Server

Schlücker, Sebastian

2013-01-01

Covering everything from the basic theoretical and practical knowledge to new exciting developments in the field with a focus on analytical and life science applications, this monograph shows how to apply surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for solving real world problems. From the contents: * Theory and practice of SERS * Analytical applications * SERS combined with other analytical techniques * Biophysical applications * Life science applications including various microscopies Aimed at analytical, surface and medicinal chemists, spectroscopists, biophysicists and materials scientists. Includes a Foreword by the renowned Raman spectroscopist Professor Wolfgang Kiefer, the former Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Raman Spectroscopy.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering biosensor for DNA detection on nanoparticle island substrates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yuan, Scott Wu; Ho, Ho Pui; Lee, Rebecca K.Y.

2009-01-01

We present a study on the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) properties of Ag nanoparticle island substrates (NIS) and their applications for target oligonucleotide (OND) detection. It has been found that the surface nanostructure of NIS samples can be controlled with a good degree of repro......We present a study on the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) properties of Ag nanoparticle island substrates (NIS) and their applications for target oligonucleotide (OND) detection. It has been found that the surface nanostructure of NIS samples can be controlled with a good degree...

Assessing Telomere Length Using Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering

Science.gov (United States)

Zong, Shenfei; Wang, Zhuyuan; Chen, Hui; Cui, Yiping

2014-11-01

Telomere length can provide valuable insight into telomeres and telomerase related diseases, including cancer. Here, we present a brand-new optical telomere length measurement protocol using surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). In this protocol, two single strand DNA are used as SERS probes. They are labeled with two different Raman molecules and can specifically hybridize with telomeres and centromere, respectively. First, genome DNA is extracted from cells. Then the telomere and centromere SERS probes are added into the genome DNA. After hybridization with genome DNA, excess SERS probes are removed by magnetic capturing nanoparticles. Finally, the genome DNA with SERS probes attached is dropped onto a SERS substrate and subjected to SERS measurement. Longer telomeres result in more attached telomere probes, thus a stronger SERS signal. Consequently, SERS signal can be used as an indicator of telomere length. Centromere is used as the inner control. By calibrating the SERS intensity of telomere probe with that of the centromere probe, SERS based telomere measurement is realized. This protocol does not require polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or electrophoresis procedures, which greatly simplifies the detection process. We anticipate that this easy-operation and cost-effective protocol is a fine alternative for the assessment of telomere length.

Influence of picosecond multiple/single line ablation on copper nanoparticles fabricated for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy and photonics applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamad, Syed; Tewari, Surya P; Podagatlapalli, G Krishna; Rao, S Venugopal

2013-01-01

A comprehensive study comprising fabrication of copper nanoparticles (NPs) using picosecond (ps) multiple/single line ablation in various solvents such as acetone, dichloromethane (DCM), acetonitrile (ACN) and chloroform followed by optical, nonlinear optical (NLO), and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) characterization was performed. The influence of surrounding liquid media and the writing conditions resulted in fabrication of Cu NPs in acetone, CuCl NPs in DCM, CuO NPs in ACN and CuCl 2 NPs in chloroform. Prepared colloids were characterized through transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectra, selected area electron diffraction and UV-visible absorption spectra. A detailed investigation of the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity and the ps NLO properties of the colloids prepared through multiple/single line ablation techniques revealed that the best performance was achieved by Cu NPs for SERS applications and CuCl 2 NPs for NLO applications. (paper)

Trace drug analysis by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Farquharson, Stuart; Lee, Vincent Y.

2000-12-01

Drug overdose involves more than 10 percent of emergency room (ER) cases, and a method to rapidly identify and quantify the abused drug is critical to the ability of the ER physician to administer the appropriate care. To this end, we have been developing a surface-enhanced Raman (SER) active material capable of detecting target drugs at physiological concentrations in urine. The SER-active material consists of a metal-doped sol-gel that provides not only a million fold increase in sensitivity but also reproducible measurements. The porous silica network offers a unique environment for stabilizing SER active metal particles and the high surface area increase the interaction between the analyte and metal particles. The sol-gel has been coated on the inside walls of glass samples vials, such that urine specimens may simply be introduced for analysis. Here we present the surface-enhanced Raman spectra of a series of barbiturates, actual urine specimens, and a drug 'spiked' urine specimen. The utility of pH adjustment to suppress dominant biochemicals associated with urine is also presented.

Analysis of polymer surfaces and thin-film coatings with Raman and surface enhanced Raman scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McAnally, Gerard David

2001-01-01

This thesis investigates the potential of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for the analysis and characterisation of polymer surfaces. The Raman and SERS spectra from a PET film are presented. The SERS spectra from the related polyester PBT and from the monomer DMT are identical to PET, showing that only the aromatic signals are enhanced. Evidence from other compounds is presented to show that loss of the carbonyl stretch (1725 cm -1 ) from the spectra is due to a chemical interaction between the silver and surface carbonyl groups. The interaction of other polymer functional groups with silver is discussed. A comparison of Raman and SERS spectra collected from three faces of a single crystal shows the SERS spectra are depolarised. AFM images of the silver films used to obtain SERS are presented. They consist of regular islands of silver, fused together to form a complete film. The stability and reproducibility and of these surfaces is assessed. Band assignments for the SERS spectrum of PET are presented. A new band in the spectrum (1131 cm -1 ) is assigned to a complex vibration using a density functional calculation. Depth profiling through a polymer film on to the silver layer showed the SERS signals arise from the silver surface only. The profiles show the effects of refraction on the beam, and the adverse affect on the depth resolution. Silver films were used to obtain SERS spectra from a 40 nm thin-film coating on PET, without interference from the PET layer. The use of an azo dye probe as a marker to detect the coating is described. Finally, a novel method for the synthesis of a SERS-active vinyl-benzotriazole monomer is reported. The monomer was incorporated into a thin-film coating and the SERS spectrum obtained from the polymer. (author)

Surface enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopic waveguide

Science.gov (United States)

Lascola, Robert J; McWhorter, Christopher S; Murph, Simona H

2015-04-14

A waveguide for use with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy is provided that includes a base structure with an inner surface that defines a cavity and that has an axis. Multiple molecules of an analyte are capable of being located within the cavity at the same time. A base layer is located on the inner surface of the base structure. The base layer extends in an axial direction along an axial length of an excitation section. Nanoparticles are carried by the base layer and may be uniformly distributed along the entire axial length of the excitation section. A flow cell for introducing analyte and excitation light into the waveguide and a method of applying nanoparticles may also be provided.

Measurement of the surface-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (SECARS) due to the 1574 cm(-1) surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) mode of benzenethiol using low-power (CW diode lasers.

Science.gov (United States)

Aggarwal, Roshan L; Farrar, Lewis W; Greeneltch, Nathan G; Van Duyne, Richard P; Polla, Dennis L

2013-02-01

The surface-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (SECARS) from a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of benzenethiol on a silver-coated surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate has been measured for the 1574 cm(-1) SERS mode. A value of 9.6 ± 1.7×10(-14) W was determined for the resonant component of the SECARS signal using 17.8 mW of 784.9 nm pump laser power and 7.1 mW of 895.5 nm Stokes laser power; the pump and Stokes lasers were polarized parallel to each other but perpendicular to the grooves of the diffraction grating in the spectrometer. The measured value of resonant component of the SECARS signal is in agreement with the calculated value of 9.3×10(-14) W using the measured value of 8.7 ± 0.5 cm(-1) for the SERS linewidth Γ (full width at half-maximum) and the value of 5.7 ± 1.4×10(-7) for the product of the Raman cross section σSERS and the surface concentration Ns of the benzenethiol SAM. The xxxx component of the resonant part of the third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility |3 χxxxx((3)R)| for the 1574 cm(-1) SERS mode has been determined to be 4.3 ± 1.1×10(-5) cm·g(-1)·s(2). The SERS enhancement factor for the 1574 cm(-1) mode was determined to be 3.6 ± 0.9×10(7) using the value of 1.8×10(15) molecules/cm(2) for Ns.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering on gold nanotrenches and nanoholes

KAUST Repository

Yue, Weisheng; Yang, Yang; Wang, Zhihong; Chen, Longqing; Wong, Ka Chun; Syed, Ahad A.; Chen, Zong; Wang, Xianbin

2012-01-01

Dependent effects on edge-to-edge distance and incidence polarization in surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) were studied in detection of 4-mercaptopyridine (4-MPy) molecules absorbed on gold nanotrenches and nanoholes. The gold nanostructures

Single Molecule Instrument for Surface Enhanced Raman Optical Activity of Biomolecules, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Stereochemistry is an essential element of our organic life. Only certain enantiomers are useful as drugs for the human body. Raman optical activity (ROA) provides...

Single Molecule Instrument for Surface Enhanced Raman Optical Activity of Biomolecules, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Stereochemistry is an essential element of our organic life. Only certain enantiomers are useful as drugs for the human body. Raman Optical Activity (ROA) and...

[Current views on surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy in microbiology].

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Xiaoxiao; Li, Jing; Qin, Tian; Deng, Aihua; Liu, Wenjun

2015-05-01

Raman spectroscopy has generated many branches during the development for more than 90 years. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) improves SNR by using the interaction between tested materials and the surface of rough metal, as to quickly get higher sensitivity and precision spectroscopy without sample pretreatment. This article describes the characteristic and classification of SERS, and updates the theory and clinical application of SERS. It also summarizes the present status and progress of SERS in various disciplines and illustrates the necessity and urgency of its research, which provides rationale for the application for SERS in microbiology.

Surface Plasmons and Surface Enhanced Raman Spectra of Aggregated and Alloyed Gold-Silver Nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Fleger

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Effects of size, morphology, and composition of gold and silver nanoparticles on surface plasmon resonance (SPR and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS are studied with the purpose of optimizing SERS substrates. Various gold and silver films made by evaporation and subsequent annealing give different morphologies and compositions of nanoparticles and thus different position of the SPR peak. SERS measurements of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid obtained from these films reveal that the proximity of the SPR peak to the exciting laser wavelength is not the only factor leading to the highest Raman enhancement. Silver nanoparticles evaporated on top of larger gold nanoparticles show higher SERS than gold-silver alloyed nanoparticles, in spite of the fact that the SPR peak of alloyed nanoparticles is narrower and closer to the excitation wavelength. The highest Raman enhancement was obtained for substrates with a two-peak particle size distribution for excitation wavelengths close to the SPR.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering of dipolar molecules by the graphene Fermi surface modulation with different dipole moments

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Mingjia; Leng, Yandan; Huang, Jing; Yu, JiaoJiao; Lan, Zhenggang; Huang, Changshui

2017-12-01

We report the modulation of Raman scattering spectrum of chromophore/graphene hybrids by tunning the molecular polarization with different terminal groups (methyl, methoxy, nitrile, and two nitros). Based on the density functional theory, the specific dipole moment values of the chromophore molecules are calculated. An obvious surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) was observed and the scattering intensity of molecule increases with enlarged dipole moment. According to the analysis of G band Raman shifts of graphene, the enhancement of the Raman signal can be attributed to strong electronic coupling between graphene and chromophore, which is closely related with the modulation of graphene Fermi surface by changing the dipole moment of the molecule. Besides, the optimization of the ground state geometry and the binding energy of the hybrids were also calculated with the Density Functional Based Tight Bonding (DFTB) method, which confirms that the enhanced Raman scattering of molecules on graphene arises from the improved energy level matching between graphene Fermi surface and molecular band, further providing a new way to design novel SERS devices.

Nonlinear optical studies of surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen, Y.R.

1994-07-01

The possibly of using nonlinear optical processes for surface studies has attracted increasing attention in recent years. Optical second harmonic generation (SHG) and sum frequency generation (SFG), in particular, have been well accepted as viable surface probes. They have many advantages over the conventional techniques. By nature, they are highly surface-specific and has a submonolayer sensitivity. As coherent optical processes, they are capable of in-situ probing of surfaces in hostile environment as well as applicable to all interfaces accessible by light. With ultrafast pump laser pulses, they can be employed to study surface dynamic processes with a subpicosecond time resolution. These advantages have opened the door to many exciting research opportunities in surface science and technology. This paper gives a brief overview of this fast-growing new area of research. Optical SHG from a surface was first studied theoretically and experimentally in the sixties. Even the submonolayer surface sensitivity of the process was noticed fairly early. The success was, however, limited because of difficulties in controlling the experimental conditions. It was not until the early 1980's that the potential of the process for surface analysis was duly recognized. The first surface study by SHG was actually motivated by the then active search for an understanding of the intriguing surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). It had been suspected that the enhancement in SERS mainly came from the local-field enhancement due to local plasmon resonances and pointing rod effect on rough metal surfaces. In our view, Raman scattering is a two-photon process and is therefore a nonlinear optical effect

Physical chemistry of Nanogap-Enhanced Raman Scattering (NERS)

Science.gov (United States)

Suh, Yung Doug; Kim, Hyun Woo

2017-08-01

Plasmonically coupled electromagnetic field localization has generated a variety of new concepts and applications, and this has been one of the hottest topics in nanoscience, materials science, chemistry, physics and engineering and increasingly more important over the last decade. In particular, plasmonically coupled nanostructures with ultra-small gap ( 1-nm or smaller) gap have been of special interest due to their ultra-strong optical properties that can be useful for a variety of signal enhancements such surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and nanoantenna. These promising nanostructures with extraordinarily strong optical signal, however, have rendered a limited success in widespread use and commercialization largely due to the lack of designing principles, high-yield synthetic strategies with nm-level structural controllability and reproducibility and lack of systematic single-molecule and single-particle level studies. All these are extremely important challenges because even small changes ( 1 nm) of the coupled nanogap structures can significant affect plasmon mode and signal intensity and therefore structural and signal reproducibility and controllability can be in question. The plasmonic nanogap-enhanced Raman scattering (NERS) is defined as the plasmonic nanogap-based Raman signal enhancement within plasmonic nanogap particles with 1 nm gap and a Raman dye positioned inside the gap.

Geometry of GLP on silver surface by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, PeiDi; Bao, Lang; Huang, TianQuan; Liu, XinMing; Wu, GuoFeng

2000-05-01

Leptospirosis is one of the most harmful zoonosis, it is a serious public health issue in some area of Sichuan province. Surface-Enhance Raman Scattering (SERS) Spectroscopy is an effective approach for the study of biomolecular adsorption on metal surface and provides information about the adsorbed species. Two samples of Leptospiral Glycolipoprotein (GLP-1) and GLP-2 which have different toxic effects have been obtained and investigated.

Laser Raman Spectroscopy with Different Excitation Sources and Extension to Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Md. Wahadoszamen

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A dispersive Raman spectrometer was used with three different excitation sources (Argon-ion, He-Ne, and Diode lasers operating at 514.5 nm, 633 nm, and 782 nm, resp.. The system was employed to a variety of Raman active compounds. Many of the compounds exhibit very strong fluorescence while being excited with a laser emitting at UV-VIS region, hereby imposing severe limitation to the detection efficiency of the particular Raman system. The Raman system with variable excitation laser sources provided us with a desired flexibility toward the suppression of unwanted fluorescence signal. With this Raman system, we could detect and specify the different vibrational modes of various hazardous organic compounds and some typical dyes (both fluorescent and nonfluorescent. We then compared those results with the ones reported in literature and found the deviation within the range of ±2 cm−1, which indicates reasonable accuracy and usability of the Raman system. Then, the surface enhancement technique of Raman spectrum was employed to the present system. To this end, we used chemically prepared colloidal suspension of silver nanoparticles as substrate and Rhodamine 6G as probe. We could observe significant enhancement of Raman signal from Rhodamine 6G using the colloidal solution of silver nanoparticles the average magnitude of which is estimated to be 103.

Facile fabrication of microfluidic surface-enhanced Raman scattering devices via lift-up lithography

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yuanzi; Jiang, Ye; Zheng, Xiaoshan; Jia, Shasha; Zhu, Zhi; Ren, Bin; Ma, Hongwei

2018-04-01

We describe a facile and low-cost approach for a flexibly integrated surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate in microfluidic chips. Briefly, a SERS substrate was fabricated by the electrostatic assembling of gold nanoparticles, and shaped into designed patterns by subsequent lift-up soft lithography. The SERS micro-pattern could be further integrated within microfluidic channels conveniently. The resulting microfluidic SERS chip allowed ultrasensitive in situ SERS monitoring from the transparent glass window. With its advantages in simplicity, functionality and cost-effectiveness, this method could be readily expanded into optical microfluidic fabrication for biochemical applications.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering based nonfluorescent probe for multiplex DNA detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Lan; Yu, Chenxu; Irudayaraj, Joseph

2007-06-01

To provide rapid and accurate detection of DNA markers in a straightforward, inexpensive, and multiplex format, an alternative surface-enhanced Raman scattering based probe was designed and fabricated to covalently attach both DNA probing sequence and nonfluorescent Raman tags to the surface of gold nanoparticles (DNA-AuP-RTag). The intensity of Raman signal of the probes could be controlled through the surface coverage of the nonfluorescent Raman tags (RTags). Detection sensitivity of these probes could be optimized by fine-tuning the amount of DNA molecules and RTags on the probes. Long-term stability of the DNA-AuP-RTag probes was found to be good (over 3 months). Excellent multiplexing capability of the DNA-AuP-RTag scheme was demonstrated by simultaneous identification of up to eight probes in a mixture. Detection of hybridization of single-stranded DNA to its complementary targets was successfully accomplished with a long-term goal to use nonfluorescent RTags in a Raman-based DNA microarray platform.

Surface enhanced raman scattering at Ag-Pyridine interface by use of long range surface plasmon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baik, Moon Gu; Ko, Eu; Kwan, Do Kyeong; Lee, Ja Hyung; Chang, Joon Sung

1990-01-01

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) experiment of pyridine (C 5 H 5 N) has been performed at silverpyridine interface by use of long range surface plasmon (LRSP) which is generated in the Sarid-type attenuated total reflection (ATR) structure consisting of prism, dielectic, metal and dielectic media. Generation of LRSP has been confirmed by observing the propagation of the LRSP. Raman signal of pyridine adsorbed on the silver surface in the above layered structure has been observed and compared with the bulk Raman signal and SERS signal from the chemically adsorbed pyridine. SERS experiment by use of LRSP has not yet reported to the best of our knowledge. (Author)

Polytetrafluorethylene-Au as a substrate for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siegel Jakub

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract This study deals with preparation of substrates suitable for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS applications by sputtering deposition of gold layer on the polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE foil. Time of sputtering was investigated with respect to the surface properties. The ability of PTFE-Au substrates to enhance Raman signals was investigated by immobilization of biphenyl-4,4'-dithiol (BFD from the solutions with various concentrations. BFD was also used for preparation of sandwich structures with Au or Ag nanoparticles by two different procedures. Results showed that PTFE can be used for fabrication of SERS active substrate with easy handle properties at low cost. This substrate was sufficient for the measurement of SERS spectrum of BFD even at 10-8 mol/l concentration.

Polyethylenimine-assisted seed-mediated synthesis of gold nanoparticles for surface-enhanced Raman scattering studies

Science.gov (United States)

Philip, Anish; Ankudze, Bright; Pakkanen, Tuula T.

2018-06-01

Large-sized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized with a new polyethylenimine - assisted seed - mediated method for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) studies. The size and polydispersity of gold nanoparticles are controlled in the growth step with the amounts of polyethylenimine (PEI) and seeds. Influence of three silicon oxide supports having different surface morphologies, namely halloysite (Hal) nanotubes, glass plates and inverse opal films of SiO2, on the performance of gold nanoparticles in Raman scattering of a 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) analyte was investigated. Electrostatic interaction between positively charged polyethylenimine-capped AuNPs and negatively charged surfaces of silicon oxide supports was utilized in fabrication of the SERS substrates using deposition and infiltration methods. The Au-photonic crystal of the three SERS substrate groups is the most active one as it showed the highest analytical enhancement factor (AEF) and the lowest detection limit of 1x10-8 M for 4-ATP. Coupling of the optical properties of photonic crystals with the plasmonic properties of AuNPs provided Au-photonic crystals with the high SERS activity. The AuNPs clusters formed both in the photonic crystal and on the glass plate are capable of forming more hot spots as compared to sparsely distributed AuNPs on Hal nanotubes and thereby increasing the SERS enhancement.

Non-invasive optical detection of esophagus cancer based on urine surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Shaohua; Wang, Lan; Chen, Weiwei; Lin, Duo; Huang, Lingling; Wu, Shanshan; Feng, Shangyuan; Chen, Rong

2014-09-01

A surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) approach was utilized for urine biochemical analysis with the aim to develop a label-free and non-invasive optical diagnostic method for esophagus cancer detection. SERS spectrums were acquired from 31 normal urine samples and 47 malignant esophagus cancer (EC) urine samples. Tentative assignments of urine SERS bands demonstrated esophagus cancer specific changes, including an increase in the relative amounts of urea and a decrease in the percentage of uric acid in the urine of normal compared with EC. The empirical algorithm integrated with linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were employed to identify some important urine SERS bands for differentiation between healthy subjects and EC urine. The empirical diagnostic approach based on the ratio of the SERS peak intensity at 527 to 1002 cm-1 and 725 to 1002 cm-1 coupled with LDA yielded a diagnostic sensitivity of 72.3% and specificity of 96.8%, respectively. The area under the receive operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.954, which further evaluate the performance of the diagnostic algorithm based on the ratio of the SERS peak intensity combined with LDA analysis. This work demonstrated that the urine SERS spectra associated with empirical algorithm has potential for noninvasive diagnosis of esophagus cancer.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy bioanalytical, biomolecular and medical applications

CERN Document Server

Procházka, Marek

2016-01-01

This book gives an overview of recent developments in RS and SERS for sensing and biosensing considering also limitations, possibilities and prospects of this technique. Raman scattering (RS) is a widely used vibrational technique providing highly specific molecular spectral patterns. A severe limitation for the application of this spectroscopic technique lies in the low cross section of RS. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy overcomes this problem by 6-11 orders of magnitude enhancement compared with the standard RS for molecules in the close vicinity of certain rough metal surfaces. Thus, SERS combines molecular fingerprint specificity with potential single-molecule sensitivity. Due to the recent development of new SERS-active substrates, labeling and derivatization chemistry as well as new instrumentations, SERS became a very promising tool for many varied applications, including bioanalytical studies and sensing. Both intrinsic and extrinsic SERS biosensing schemes have been employed to...

A microfluidic surface enhanced Raman spectroscopic biosensor using aptamer functionalized nanopillars

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, J.; Palla, M.; Bosco, F. G.

2013-01-01

This paper presents a microchip incorporating an aptamer-functionalized nanopillar substrate, enabling the specific detection of low-abundance biomolecules using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). In a temperature controlled microchamber, aptamers immobilized on the nanostructure surface...

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy: A review of recent applications in forensic science

Science.gov (United States)

Fikiet, Marisia A.; Khandasammy, Shelby R.; Mistek, Ewelina; Ahmed, Yasmine; Halámková, Lenka; Bueno, Justin; Lednev, Igor K.

2018-05-01

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy has many advantages over its parent technique of Raman spectroscopy. Some of these advantages such as increased sensitivity and selectivity and therefore the possibility of small sample sizes and detection of small concentrations are invaluable in the field of forensics. A variety of new SERS surfaces and novel approaches are presented here on a wide range of forensically relevant topics.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy as a Probe of the Surface Chemistry of Nanostructured Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Dick, Susan; Konrad, Magdalena P; Lee, Wendy W Y; McCabe, Hannah; McCracken, John N; Rahman, Taifur M D; Stewart, Alan; Xu, Yikai; Bell, Steven E J

2016-07-01

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is now widely used as a rapid and inexpensive tool for chemical/biochemical analysis. The method can give enormous increases in the intensities of the Raman signals of low-concentration molecular targets if they are adsorbed on suitable enhancing substrates, which are typically composed of nanostructured Ag or Au. However, the features of SERS that allow it to be used as a chemical sensor also mean that it can be used as a powerful probe of the surface chemistry of any nanostructured material that can provide SERS enhancement. This is important because it is the surface chemistry that controls how these materials interact with their local environment and, in real applications, this interaction can be more important than more commonly measured properties such as morphology or plasmonic absorption. Here, the opportunity that this approach to SERS provides is illustrated with examples where the surface chemistry is both characterized and controlled in order to create functional nanomaterials. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Scanning angle Raman spectroscopy: Investigation of Raman scatter enhancement techniques for chemical analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, Matthew W. [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2013-01-01

This thesis outlines advancements in Raman scatter enhancement techniques by applying evanescent fields, standing-waves (waveguides) and surface enhancements to increase the generated mean square electric field, which is directly related to the intensity of Raman scattering. These techniques are accomplished by employing scanning angle Raman spectroscopy and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy. A 1064 nm multichannel Raman spectrometer is discussed for chemical analysis of lignin. Extending dispersive multichannel Raman spectroscopy to 1064 nm reduces the fluorescence interference that can mask the weaker Raman scattering. Overall, these techniques help address the major obstacles in Raman spectroscopy for chemical analysis, which include the inherently weak Raman cross section and susceptibility to fluorescence interference.

Single-Molecule Chemistry with Surface- and Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zrimsek, Alyssa B; Chiang, Naihao; Mattei, Michael; Zaleski, Stephanie; McAnally, Michael O; Chapman, Craig T; Henry, Anne-Isabelle; Schatz, George C; Van Duyne, Richard P

2017-06-14

Single-molecule (SM) surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) have emerged as analytical techniques for characterizing molecular systems in nanoscale environments. SERS and TERS use plasmonically enhanced Raman scattering to characterize the chemical information on single molecules. Additionally, TERS can image single molecules with subnanometer spatial resolution. In this review, we cover the development and history of SERS and TERS, including the concept of SERS hot spots and the plasmonic nanostructures necessary for SM detection, the past and current methodologies for verifying SMSERS, and investigations into understanding the signal heterogeneities observed with SMSERS. Moving on to TERS, we cover tip fabrication and the physical origins of the subnanometer spatial resolution. Then, we highlight recent advances of SMSERS and TERS in fields such as electrochemistry, catalysis, and SM electronics, which all benefit from the vibrational characterization of single molecules. SMSERS and TERS provide new insights on molecular behavior that would otherwise be obscured in an ensemble-averaged measurement.

Improved molecular fingerprint analysis employing multi-branched gold nanoparticles in conjunction with surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johnston J

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Jencilin Johnston,1 Erik N Taylor,1,2 Richard J Gilbert,2 Thomas J Webster1,3 1Department of Chemical Engineering, 2Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; 3Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Abstract: Vibrational spectroscopy is a powerful analytical tool that assesses molecular properties based on spectroscopic signatures. In this study, the effect of gold nanoparticle morphology (spherical vs multi-branched was assessed for the characterization of a Raman signal (ie, molecular fingerprint that may be helpful for numerous medical applications. Multi-branched gold nanoparticles (MBAuNPs were fabricated using a green chemistry method which employed the reduction of gold ion solute by 2-[4-(2-hydroxyethyl-1-piperazyl] ethane sulfonic acid. Two types of reporter dyes, indocyanine (IR820 and IR792 and carbocyanine (DTTC [3,3'-diethylthiatricarbocyanine iodide] and DTDC [3,3'-diethylthiadicarbocyanine iodide], were functionalized to the surface of the MBAuNPs and stabilized with denatured bovine serum albumin, thus forming the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy tag. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated anti-epidermal growth factor receptor to the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy tags and the properties of the resulting conjugates were assessed through determination of the Raman signal. Using the MBAuNP Raman probes synthesized in this manner, we demonstrated that MBAuNP provided significantly more surface-enhanced Raman scattering signal when compared with the associated spherical gold nanoparticle of similar size and concentration. MBAuNP enhancements were retained in the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy tags complexed to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor, providing evidence that this could be a useful biological probe for enhanced Raman molecular fingerprinting. Furthermore, while utilizing IR820 as a novel reporter dye

Aligned gold nanoneedle arrays for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Yong; Huang Zhengren; Jiang Dongliang; Tanemura, Masaki; Yamaguchi, Kohei; Li Zhiyuan; Huang Yingping; Kawamura, Go; Nogami, Masayuki

2010-01-01

A simple Ar + -ion irradiation route has been developed to prepare gold nanoneedle arrays on glass substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active substrates. The nanoneedles exhibited very sharp tips with an apex diameter of 20 nm. These arrays were evaluated as potential SERS substrates using malachite green molecules and exhibited a SERS enhancement factor of greater than 10 8 , which is attributed to the localized electron field enhancement around the apex of the needle and the surface plasmon coupling originating from the periodic structure. This work demonstrates a new technique for producing controllable and reproducible SERS substrates potentially applicable for chemical and biological assays.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of Carbon Nanomembranes from Aromatic Self-Assembled Monolayers.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xianghui; Mainka, Marcel; Paneff, Florian; Hachmeister, Henning; Beyer, André; Gölzhäuser, Armin; Huser, Thomas

2018-02-27

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy (SERS) was employed to investigate the formation of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of biphenylthiol, 4'-nitro-1,1'-biphenyl-4-thiol, and p-terphenylthiol on Au surfaces and their structural transformations into carbon nanomembranes (CNMs) induced by electron irradiation. The high sensitivity of SERS allows us to identify two types of Raman scattering in electron-irradiated SAMs: (1) Raman-active sites exhibit similar bands as those of pristine SAMs in the fingerprint spectral region, but with indications of an amorphization process and (2) Raman-inactive sites show almost no Raman-scattering signals, except a very weak and broad D band, indicating a lack of structural order but for the presence of graphitic domains. Statistical analysis showed that the ratio of the number of Raman-active sites to the total number of measurement sites decreases exponentially with increasing the electron irradiation dose. The maximum degree of cross-linking ranged from 97 to 99% for the three SAMs. Proof-of-concept experiments were conducted to demonstrate potential applications of Raman-inactive CNMs as a supporting membrane for Raman analysis.

[Three-dimensional vertically aligned CNTs coated by Ag nanoparticles for surface-enhanced Raman scattering].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiao-Lei; Zhang, Jie; Fan, Tuo; Ren, Wen-Jie; Lai, Chun-Hong

2014-09-01

In order to make surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates contained more "hot spots" in a three-dimensional (3D) focal volume, and can be adsorbed more probe molecules and metal nanoparticles, to obtain stronger Raman spectral signal, a new structure based on vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) coated by Ag nanoparticles for surface Raman enhancement is presented. The vertically aligned CNTs are synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). A silver film is first deposited on the vertically aligned CNTs by magnetron sputtering. The samples are then annealed at different temperature to cause the different size silver nanoparticles to coat on the surface and sidewalls of vertically aligned CNTs. The result of scanning electron microscopy(SEM) shows that Ag nanoparticles are attached onto the sidewalls and tips of the vertically aligned CNTs, as the annealing temperature is different , pitch size, morphology and space between the silver nanoparticles is vary. Rhodamine 6G is served as the probe analyte. Raman spectrum measurement indicates that: the higher the concentration of R6G, the stronger the Raman intensity, but R6G concentration increase with the enhanced Raman intensity varies nonlinearly; when annealing temperature is 450 °C, the average size of silver nanoparticles is about 100 to 120 nm, while annealing temperature is 400 °C, the average size is about 70 nm, and the Raman intensity of 450 °C is superior to the annealing temperature that of 400 °C and 350 °C.

Gold Nanostructures for Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy, Prepared by Electrodeposition in Porous Silicon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yukio H. Ogata

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Electrodeposition of gold into porous silicon was investigated. In the present study, porous silicon with ~100 nm in pore diameter, so-called medium-sized pores, was used as template electrode for gold electrodeposition. The growth behavior of gold deposits was studied by scanning electron microscope observation of the gold deposited porous silicon. Gold nanorod arrays with different rod lengths were prepared, and their surface-enhanced Raman scattering properties were investigated. We found that the absorption peak due to the surface plasmon resonance can be tuned by changing the length of the nanorods. The optimum length of the gold nanorods was ~600 nm for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy using a He-Ne laser. The reason why the optimum length of the gold nanorods was 600 nm was discussed by considering the relationship between the absorption peak of surface plasmon resonance and the wavelength of the incident laser for Raman scattering.

Design, fabrication, and characterization of metallic nanostructures for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and plasmonic applications

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Qingzhen

Metal/dielectric nanostructures have the ability to sustain coherent electron oscillations known as surface plasmons. Due to their capability of localizing and guiding light in sub-wavelength metal nanostructures beyond diffraction limits, surface plasmon-based photonics, or “plasmonics” has opened new physical phenomena and lead to novel applications in metamaterials, optoelectronics, surface enhanced spectroscopy and biological sensing. This dissertation centers on design, fabrication, characterization of metallic nanostructures and their applications in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and actively tunable plasmonics. Metal-dielectric nanostructures are the building blocks for photonic metamaterials. One valuable design guideline for metamaterials is the Babinet’s principle, which governs the optical properties of complementary nanostructures. However, most complementary metamaterials are designed for the far infrared region or beyond, where the optical absorption of metal is small. We have developed a novel dual fabrication method, capable of simultaneously producing optically thin complementary structures. From experimental measurements and theoretical simulations, we showed that Babinet’s principle qualitatively holds in the visible region for the optically thin complements. The complementary structure is also a good platform to study subtle differences between nanoparticles and nanoholes in SERS (a surface sensitive technique, which can enhance the conventional Raman cross-section by 106˜108 fold, thus very useful for highly sensitive biochemical sensing). Through experimental measurement and theoretical analysis, we showed that the SERS enhancement spectrum (plot of SERS enhancement versus excitation wavelengths), dominated by local near-field, for nanoholes closely follows their far-field optical transmission spectrum. However, the enhancement spectrum for nanoparticles red-shifts significantly from their far-field optical extinction

Development of a miRNA surface-enhanced Raman scattering assay using benchtop and handheld Raman systems

Science.gov (United States)

Schechinger, Monika; Marks, Haley; Locke, Andrea; Choudhury, Mahua; Cote, Gerard

2018-01-01

DNA-functionalized nanoparticles, when paired with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), can rapidly detect microRNA. However, widespread use of this approach is hindered by drawbacks associated with large and expensive benchtop Raman microscopes. MicroRNA-17 (miRNA-17) has emerged as a potential epigenetic indicator of preeclampsia, a condition that occurs during pregnancy. Biomarker detection using an SERS point-of-care device could enable prompt diagnosis and prevention as early as the first trimester. Recently, strides have been made in developing portable Raman systems for field applications. An SERS assay for miRNA-17 was assessed and translated from traditional benchtop Raman microscopes to a handheld system. Three different photoactive molecules were compared as potential Raman reporter molecules: a chromophore, malachite green isothiocyanate (MGITC), a fluorophore, tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate, and a polarizable small molecule 5,5-dithio-bis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB). For the benchtop Raman microscope, the DTNB-labeled assay yielded the greatest sensitivity under 532-nm laser excitation, but the MGITC-labeled assay prevailed at 785 nm. Conversely, DTNB was preferable for the miniaturized 785-nm Raman system. This comparison showed significant SERS enhancement variation in response to 1-nM miRNA-17, implying that the sensitivity of the assay may be more heavily dependent on the excitation wavelength, instrumentation, and Raman reporter chosen than on the plasmonic coupling from DNA/miRNA-mediated nanoparticle assemblies.

Templated green synthesis of plasmonic silver nanoparticles in onion epidermal cells suitable for surface-enhanced Raman and hyper-Raman scattering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Palanco, Marta Espina; Mogensen, Klaus Bo; Guehlke, Marina

2016-01-01

We report fast and simple green synthesis of plasmonic silver nanoparticles in the epidermal cells of onions after incubation with AgNO3 solution. The biological environment supports the generation of silver nanostructures in two ways. The plant tissue delivers reducing chemicals for the initial...... for one-and two-photon-excited spectroscopy such as surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface enhanced hyper-Raman scattering (SEHRS). Our studies demonstrate a templated green preparation of enhancing plasmonic nanoparticles and suggest a new route to deliver silver nanoparticles as basic...... building blocks of plasmonic nanosensors to plants by the uptake of solutions of metal salts....

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering on periodic metal nanotips with tunable sharpness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linn, Nicholas C; Sun, C-H; Arya, Ajay; Jiang Peng; Jiang Bin

2009-01-01

This paper reports on a scalable bottom-up technology for producing periodic gold nanotips with tunable sharpness as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates. Inverted silicon pyramidal pits, which are templated from non-close-packed colloidal crystals prepared by a spin-coating technology, are used as structural templates to replicate arrays of polymer nanopyramids with nanoscale sharp tips. The deposition of a thin layer of gold on the polymer nanopyramids leads to the formation of SERS-active substrates with a high enhancement factor (up to 10 8 ). The thickness of the deposited metal determines the sharpness of the nanotips and the resulting Raman enhancement factor. Finite-element electromagnetic modeling shows that the nanotips can significantly enhance the local electromagnetic field and the sharpness of nanotips greatly affects the SERS enhancement.

Raman enhancement by graphene-Ga2O3 2D bilayer film.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yun; Yu, Qing-Kai; Ding, Gu-Qiao; Xu, Xu-Guang; Wu, Tian-Ru; Gong, Qian; Yuan, Ning-Yi; Ding, Jian-Ning; Wang, Shu-Min; Xie, Xiao-Ming; Jiang, Mian-Heng

2014-01-28

2D β-Ga2O3 flakes on a continuous 2D graphene film were prepared by a one-step chemical vapor deposition on liquid gallium surface. The composite was characterized by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The experimental results indicate that Ga2O3 flakes grew on the surface of graphene film during the cooling process. In particular, tenfold enhancement of graphene Raman scattering signal was detected on Ga2O3 flakes, and XPS indicates the C-O bonding between graphene and Ga2O3. The mechanism of Raman enhancement was discussed. The 2D Ga2O3-2D graphene structure may possess potential applications.

Effects of corner radius on periodic nanoantenna for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chao, Bo-Kai; Lin, Shih-Che; Nien, Li-Wei; Hsueh, Chun-Hway; Li, Jia-Han

2015-01-01

Corner radius is a concept to approximate the fabrication limitation due to the effective beam broadening at the corner in using electron-beam lithography. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the effects of corner radius on the electromagnetic field enhancement and resonance wavelength for three periodic polygon dimers of bowtie, twin square, and twin pentagon. The enhancement factor of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy due to the localized surface plasmon resonances in fabricated gold bowtie nanostructures was investigated using both Raman spectroscopy and finite-difference time-domain simulations. The simulated enhancement factor versus corner radius relation was in agreement with measurements and it could be fitted by a power-law relation. In addition, the resonance wavelength showed blue shift with the increasing corner radius because of the distribution of concentrated charges in a larger area. For different polygons, the corner radius instead of the tip angle is the dominant factor of the electromagnetic field enhancement because the surface charges tend to localize at the corner. Greater enhancements can be obtained by having both the smaller gap and sharper corner although the corner radius effect on intensity enhancement is less than the gap size effect. (paper)

Rapid thyroid dysfunction screening based on serum surface-enhanced Raman scattering and multivariate statistical analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Dayong; Lü, Guodong; Zhai, Zhengang; Du, Guoli; Mo, Jiaqing; Lü, Xiaoyi

2018-01-01

In this paper, serum surface-enhanced Raman scattering and multivariate statistical analysis are used to investigate a rapid screening technique for thyroid function diseases. At present, the detection of thyroid function has become increasingly important, and it is urgently necessary to develop a rapid and portable method for the detection of thyroid function. Our experimental results show that, by using the Silmeco-based enhanced Raman signal, the signal strength greatly increases and the characteristic peak appears obviously. It is also observed that the Raman spectra of normal and anomalous thyroid function human serum are significantly different. Principal component analysis (PCA) combined with linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was used to diagnose thyroid dysfunction, and the diagnostic accuracy was 87.4%. The use of serum surface-enhanced Raman scattering technology combined with PCA-LDA shows good diagnostic performance for the rapid detection of thyroid function. By means of Raman technology, it is expected that a portable device for the rapid detection of thyroid function will be developed.

Ag coated microneedle based surface enhanced Raman scattering probe for intradermal measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Yuen, Clement; Liu, Quan

2013-06-01

We propose a silver coated microneedle to detect test molecules, including R6G and glucose, positioned at a depth of more than 700 μm below a skin phantom surface for mimicking intradermal surface-enhanced Raman scattering measurements.

Multiple layered metallic nanostructures for strong surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy enhancement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia, Ming; Xie, Ya-Hong; Qiao Kuan; Cheng Zhiyuan

2016-01-01

We report a systematic study on a practical way of patterning metallic nanostructures to achieve high surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) enhancement factors (EFs) and high hot-spot density. By simply superimposing a 1-layer Au nanotriangle array on another to form a multilayer nanotriangle array, the SERS signal can be enhanced by 2 orders of magnitude compared with a 1-layer nanotriangle array. The drastic increases in the SERS EF and the hot spot density of the multilayer Au nanotriangle array are due to the increase in the number of gaps formed between Au nanotriangles and the decrease of the gap width. (author)

Formation of gold nanorods and gold nanorod films for surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trotsyuk, L.L.; Kulakovich, O.S.; Shabunya-Klyachkovskaya, E.V.; Gaponenko, S.V.; Vashchenko, S.V.

2016-01-01

The formation of gold nanorods as well as thin films prepared via electrostatic deposition of gold nanorods has been investigated. The obtained gold nanorods films have been used as substrates for the surface-enhanced Raman scattering analysis of sulfur-free organic molecules mitoxantrone and malachite green as well as inorganic malachite microcrystals for the first time. The additional modification of films with L-cysteine allows one to significantly extend the use of gold nanorods for the surface-enhanced Raman scattering analysis. (authors)

Indium nanoparticles for ultraviolet surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Rupali; Soni, R. K.

2018-05-01

Ultraviolet Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (UVSERS) has emerged as an efficient molecular spectroscopy technique for ultra-sensitive and ultra-low detection of analyte concentration. The generic SERS substrates based on gold and silver nanostructures have been extensively explored for high local electric field enhancement only in visible-NIR region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The template synthesis of controlled nanoscale size metallic nanostructures supporting localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in the UV region have been recently explored due to their ease of synthesis and potential applications in optoelectronic, catalysis and magnetism. Indium (In0) nanoparticles exhibit active surface plasmon resonance (SPR) in ultraviolet (UV) and deep-ultaviolet (DUV) region with optimal absorption losses. This extended accessibility makes indium a promising material for UV plasmonic, chemical sensing and more recently in UV-SERS. In this work, spherical indium nanoparticles (In NPs) were synthesized by modified polyol reduction method using NaBH4 having local surface plasmon resonance near 280 nm. The as-synthesized spherical In0 nanoparticles were then coated with thin silica shells of thickness ˜ 5nm by a modified Stober method protecting the nanoparticles from agglomeration, direct contact with the probed molecules as well as prevent oxidation of the nanoparticles. Morphological evolution of In0 nanoparticles and SiO2 coating were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM). An enhanced near resonant shell-isolated SERS activity from thin film of tryptophan (Tryp) molecules deposited on indium coated substrates under 325nm UV excitation was observed. Finite difference time domain (FDTD) method is employed to comprehend the experimental results and simulate the electric field contours which showed amplified electromagnetic field localized around the nanostructures. The comprehensive analysis indicates that indium is a promising alternate

Chloride ion-dependent surface-enhanced Raman scattering study of biotin on the silver surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Fangfang; Gu Huaimin; Yuan Xiaojuan; Dong Xiao; Lin Yue

2011-01-01

In the present paper, the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique was employed to study the SERS spectra of biotin molecules formed on the silver surface. The adsorption geometries of biotin molecules on the silver surface were analyzed based on the SERS data. It can be found that most vibration modes show a Raman shift in silver sol after the addition of sodium chloride solution. In addition, The Raman signals of biotin become weaker and weaker with the increase of the concentration of sodium chloride. This may be due to that the interaction between chloride ions and silver particles is stronger than the interaction between biotin molecules and silver particles. When the concentration of sodium chloride in silver colloid is higher than 0.05mol/L, superfluous chloride ions may form an absorption layer so that biotin can not be adsorbed on silver surface directly. The changes in intensity and profile shape in the SERS spectra suggest different adsorption behavior and surface-coverage of biotin on silver surface. The SERS spectra of biotin suggest that the contribution of the charge transfer mechanism to SERS may be dominant.

Cavity-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of Natural Gas with Optical Feedback cw-Diode Lasers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hippler, Michael

2015-08-04

We report on improvements made on our previously introduced technique of cavity-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (CERS) with optical feedback cw-diode lasers in the gas phase, including a new mode-matching procedure which keeps the laser in resonance with the optical cavity without inducing long-term frequency shifts of the laser, and using a new CCD camera with improved noise performance. With 10 mW of 636.2 nm diode laser excitation and 30 s integration time, cavity enhancement achieves noise-equivalent detection limits below 1 mbar at 1 bar total pressure, depending on Raman cross sections. Detection limits can be easily improved using higher power diodes. We further demonstrate a relevant analytical application of CERS, the multicomponent analysis of natural gas samples. Several spectroscopic features have been identified and characterized. CERS with low power diode lasers is suitable for online monitoring of natural gas mixtures with sensitivity and spectroscopic selectivity, including monitoring H2, H2S, N2, CO2, and alkanes.

Surface-enhanced FAST CARS: en route to quantum nano-biophotonics

Science.gov (United States)

Voronine, Dmitri V.; Zhang, Zhenrong; Sokolov, Alexei V.; Scully, Marlan O.

2018-02-01

Quantum nano-biophotonics as the science of nanoscale light-matter interactions in biological systems requires developing new spectroscopic tools for addressing the challenges of detecting and disentangling weak congested optical signals. Nanoscale bio-imaging addresses the challenge of the detection of weak resonant signals from a few target biomolecules in the presence of the nonresonant background from many undesired molecules. In addition, the imaging must be performed rapidly to capture the dynamics of biological processes in living cells and tissues. Label-free non-invasive spectroscopic techniques are required to minimize the external perturbation effects on biological systems. Various approaches were developed to satisfy these requirements by increasing the selectivity and sensitivity of biomolecular detection. Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopies provide many orders of magnitude enhancement of chemically specific Raman signals. Femtosecond adaptive spectroscopic techniques for CARS (FAST CARS) were developed to suppress the nonresonant background and optimize the efficiency of the coherent optical signals. This perspective focuses on the application of these techniques to nanoscale bio-imaging, discussing their advantages and limitations as well as the promising opportunities and challenges of the combined coherence and surface enhancements in surface-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (SECARS) and tip-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (TECARS) and the corresponding surface-enhanced FAST CARS techniques. Laser pulse shaping of near-field excitations plays an important role in achieving these goals and increasing the signal enhancement.

Surface-enhanced FAST CARS: en route to quantum nano-biophotonics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Voronine Dmitri V.

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Quantum nano-biophotonics as the science of nanoscale light-matter interactions in biological systems requires developing new spectroscopic tools for addressing the challenges of detecting and disentangling weak congested optical signals. Nanoscale bio-imaging addresses the challenge of the detection of weak resonant signals from a few target biomolecules in the presence of the nonresonant background from many undesired molecules. In addition, the imaging must be performed rapidly to capture the dynamics of biological processes in living cells and tissues. Label-free non-invasive spectroscopic techniques are required to minimize the external perturbation effects on biological systems. Various approaches were developed to satisfy these requirements by increasing the selectivity and sensitivity of biomolecular detection. Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS spectroscopies provide many orders of magnitude enhancement of chemically specific Raman signals. Femtosecond adaptive spectroscopic techniques for CARS (FAST CARS were developed to suppress the nonresonant background and optimize the efficiency of the coherent optical signals. This perspective focuses on the application of these techniques to nanoscale bio-imaging, discussing their advantages and limitations as well as the promising opportunities and challenges of the combined coherence and surface enhancements in surface-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (SECARS and tip-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (TECARS and the corresponding surface-enhanced FAST CARS techniques. Laser pulse shaping of near-field excitations plays an important role in achieving these goals and increasing the signal enhancement.

Nonlinear optical techniques for surface studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen, Y.R.

1981-09-01

Recent effort in developing nonlinear optical techniques for surface studies is reviewed. Emphasis is on monolayer detection of adsorbed molecules on surfaces. It is shown that surface coherent antiStokes Raman scattering (CARS) with picosecond pulses has the sensitivity of detecting submonolayer of molecules. On the other hand, second harmonic or sum-frequency generation is also sensitive enough to detect molecular monolayers. Surface-enhanced nonlinear optical effects on some rough metal surfaces have been observed. This facilitates the detection of molecular monolayers on such surfaces, and makes the study of molecular adsorption at a liquid-metal interface feasible. Advantages and disadvantages of the nonlinear optical techniques for surface studies are discussed

Surface-enhanced raman spectroscopic studies of ellagic acid in silver colloids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Seung Jang; Cheong, Byeong Seo; Cho, Han Gook [Dept. of Chemistry, Incheon National University, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-06-15

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy has been applied for the vibrational characterization of ellagic acid (EA), a natural organic dye, using citrate-reduced silver colloids. The infrared and FT-Raman spectra of EA in the solid state were examined for comparison. Spectral assignments of the observed bands were aided by density functional theory (DFT) calculations employing the B3LYP functional. The variations in the SERS spectrum with pH and excitation wavelength were analyzed to gain information on the adsorption- and pH-dependent behaviors of the natural dye on the metal surface. On the basis of the observed spectral features and DFT calculations, the adsorption configuration of EA on the silver metal surface is proposed.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering from metal and transition metal nano-caped arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Huanhuan; Gao, Renxian; Zhu, Aonan; Hua, Zhong; Chen, Lei; Wang, Yaxin; Zhang, Yongjun

2018-03-01

The metal and transition metal cap-shaped arrays on polystyrene colloidal particle (PSCP) templates were fabricated to study the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect. We obtained the Ag and Fe complex film by a co-sputtering deposition method. The size of the deposited Fe particle was changed by the sputtering power. We also study the SERS enhancement mechanism by decorating the PATP probe molecule on the different films. The SERS signals increased firstly, and then decreased as the size of Fe particles grows gradually. The finite-difference time domain (FDTD) simulation and experimental Raman results manifest that SERS enhancement was mainly attributed to surface plasma resonance (SPR) between Ag and Ag nanoparticles. The SERS signals of PATP molecule were enhanced to reach a lowest detectable concentration of 10-8 mol/L. The research demonstrates that the SERS substrates with Ag-Fe cap-shaped arrays have a high sensitivity.

Role of Raman spectroscopy and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy in colorectal cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Jenkins, Cerys A; Lewis, Paul D; Dunstan, Peter R; Harris, Dean A

2016-01-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth most common cancer in the United Kingdom and is the second largest cause of cancer related death in the United Kingdom after lung cancer. Currently in the United Kingdom there is not a diagnostic test that has sufficient differentiation between patients with cancer and those without cancer so the current referral system relies on symptomatic presentation in a primary care setting. Raman spectroscopy and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) are forms of vibrational spectroscopy that offer a non-destructive method to gain molecular information about biological samples. The techniques offer a wide range of applications from in vivo or in vitro diagnostics using endoscopic probes, to the use of micro-spectrometers for analysis of biofluids. The techniques have the potential to detect molecular changes prior to any morphological changes occurring in the tissue and therefore could offer many possibilities to aid the detection of CRC. The purpose of this review is to look at the current state of diagnostic technology in the United Kingdom. The development of Raman spectroscopy and SERS in clinical applications relation for CRC will then be discussed. Finally, future areas of research of Raman/SERS as a clinical tool for the diagnosis of CRC are also discussed. PMID:27190582

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering from graphene covered gold nanocap arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Kailin; Luo, Xiaoguang; Nan, Haiyan; Du, Deyang; Zhao, Weiwei; Ni, Zhenhua; Qiu, Teng

2013-11-01

This work reports an efficient method to fabricate large-area flexible substrates for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) application. Our technique is based on a single-step direct imprint process via porous anodic alumina stamps. Periodic hexagonal arrangements of porous anodic alumina stamps are transferred to the polyethylene terephthalate substrates by mechanically printing process. Printed nanocaps will turn into "hot spots" for electromagnetic enhancement with a deposited gold film by high vacuum evaporation. The gaps between the nanocaps are controllable with a tight correspondence to the thickness of the deposited gold, which dramatically influence the enhancement factor. After covered with a single-layer graphene sheet, the gold nanocap substrate can be further optimized with an extra enhancement of Raman signals, and it is available for the trace detection of probe molecules. This convenient, simple, and low-cost method of making flexible SERS-active substrates potentially opens a way towards biochemical analysis and disease detection.

Frontiers of surface-enhanced Raman scattering single nanoparticles and single cells

CERN Document Server

Ozaki, Yukihiro; Aroca, Ricardo

2014-01-01

A comprehensive presentation of Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) theory, substrate fabrication, applications of SERS to biosystems, chemical analysis, sensing and fundamental innovation through experimentation. Written by internationally recognized editors and contributors. Relevant to all those within the scientific community dealing with Raman Spectroscopy, i.e. physicists, chemists, biologists, material scientists, physicians and biomedical scientists. SERS applications are widely expanding and the technology is now used in the field of nanotechnologies, applications to biosystems, nonosensors, nanoimaging and nanoscience.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Based Quantitative Bioassay on Aptamer-Functionalized Nanopillars Using Large-Area Raman Mapping

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Jaeyoung; Palla, Mirko; Bosco, Filippo

2013-01-01

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has been used in a variety of biological applications due to its high sensitivity and specificity. Here, we report a SERS-based biosensing approach for quantitative detection of biomolecules. A SERS substrate bearing gold-decorated silicon nanopillars......-to-spot variation in conventional SERS quantification. Furthermore, we have developed an analytical model capable of predicting experimental intensity distributions on the substrates for reliable quantification of biomolecules. Lastly, we have calculated the minimum needed area of Raman mapping for efficient...

Surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy of quinomethionate adsorbed on silver colloids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Mak Soon; Kang, Jae Soo; Park, Si Bum; Lee, Mu Sang

2003-01-01

We have studied the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) spectrum of quinomethionate (6-methyl-1,3-dithiolo(4,5-b)quinoxalin-2-one), which is an insecticide or fungicide used on vegetables and wheat. We observed no signals in the ordinary Raman spectra of solid-state quinomethionate, but when it was adsorbed on a colloidal silver surface, strong vibrational signals were obtained at a very low concentration. The SERS spectra were obtained by silver colloids prepared by the Creighton et al. method. The influence of pH and the aggregation inductors (Cl - , Br - , I - , F - ) on the adsorption mechanism was investigated. Two different adsorption mechanisms were deduced, depending on the experimental conditions: The one N atom or two N atoms are chemisorbed on an Ag surface. An important contribution of the chemical mechanism was inferred when the one N atom was perpendicularly adsorbed on a surface. It is possible that quinomethionate can be detected to about 10 -5 M

Click chemistry based biomolecular conjugation monitoring using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy mapping

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Palla, Mirko; Kumar, Shiv; Li, Zengmin

2016-01-01

We describe here a novel surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based technique for monitoring the conjugation of small molecules by the well-known click reaction between an alkyne and azido moiety on the partner molecules. The monitoring principle is based on the loss of the characteristic...... alkyne/azide Raman signal with triazole formation in the reaction as a function of time. Since these universal Raman reporter groups are specific for click reactions, this method may facilitate a broad range of applications for monitoring the conjugation efficiency of molecules in diverse areas...

Thermally generated metals for plasmonic coloring and surface-enhanced Raman sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Zhenping; Chen, Jian; Liu, Guiqiang; Wang, Yan; Liu, Yi; Tang, Li; Liu, Zhengqi

2018-03-01

Spectral coloring glass and its application on the surface-enhanced Raman scattering are demonstrated experimentally via a simple and moderate heat-treating of the top ultrathin gold film to create discrete nanoparticles, which can produce localized surface plasmon resonances and strong plasmonic near-field coupling effects. Ultrathin metal films with a wide range of thicknesses are investigated by different heat-treatment processes. The annealed metal films have been demonstrated with a series of spectral coloring responses. Moreover, the microscopy images of the metal film structures confirm the formation of distinct geometry features in these operation procedures. Densely packed nanoparticles are observed for the ultrathin metal film with the single-digit level of thickness. With increasing the film thickness over 10 nm, metallic clusters and porous morphologies can be obtained. Importantly, the metallic resonators can provide enhanced Raman scattering with the detection limit down to 10 - 7 molL - 1 of Rhodamine 6G molecules due to the excitation of plasmon resonances and strong near-field coupling effects. These features hold great potential for large-scale and low-cost production of colored glass and Raman substrate.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering by colloidal CdSe nanocrystal submonolayers fabricated by the Langmuir–Blodgett technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander G. Milekhin

2015-12-01

Full Text Available We present the results of an investigation of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS by optical phonons in colloidal CdSe nanocrystals (NCs homogeneously deposited on both arrays of Au nanoclusters and Au dimers using the Langmuir–Blodgett technique. The coverage of the deposited NCs was less than one monolayer, as determined by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. SERS by optical phonons in CdSe nanocrystals showed a significant enhancement that depends resonantly on the Au nanocluster and dimer size, and thus on the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR energy. The deposition of CdSe nanocrystals on the Au dimer nanocluster arrays enabled us to study the polarization dependence of SERS. The maximal SERS signal was observed for light polarization parallel to the dimer axis. The polarization ratio of the SERS signal parallel and perpendicular to the dimer axis was 20. The SERS signal intensity was also investigated as a function of the distance between nanoclusters in a dimer. Here the maximal SERS enhancement was observed for the minimal distance studied (about 10 nm, confirming the formation of SERS “hot spots”.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering on gold nanotrenches and nanoholes

KAUST Repository

Yue, Weisheng

2012-04-01

Dependent effects on edge-to-edge distance and incidence polarization in surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) were studied in detection of 4-mercaptopyridine (4-MPy) molecules absorbed on gold nanotrenches and nanoholes. The gold nanostructures with controllable size and period were fabricated using electron-beam lithography. Large SERS enhancement in detection of 4-MPy molecules on both nanostructred substrates was observed. The SERS enhancement increased exponentially with decrease of edge to-edge distance for both the nanotrenches and nanoholes while keeping the sizes of the nanotrenches and nanoholes unchanged. Investigation of polarization dependence showed that the SERS enhancement of nanotrenches was much more sensitive to the incidence polarizations than that of nanoholes. © 2012 American Scientific Publishers.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Study of 4-ATP on Gold Nanoparticles for Basal Cell Carcinoma Fingerprint Detection

Science.gov (United States)

Quynh, Luu Manh; Nam, Nguyen Hoang; Kong, K.; Nhung, Nguyen Thi; Notingher, I.; Henini, M.; Luong, Nguyen Hoang

2016-05-01

The surface-enhanced Raman signals of 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) attached to the surface of colloidal gold nanoparticles with size distribution of 2 to 5 nm were used as a labeling agent to detect basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the skin. The enhanced Raman band at 1075 cm-1 corresponding to the C-S stretching vibration in 4-ATP was observed during attachment to the surface of the gold nanoparticles. The frequency and intensity of this band did not change when the colloids were conjugated with BerEP4 antibody, which specifically binds to BCC. We show the feasibility of imaging BCC by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, scanning the 1075 cm-1 band to detect the distribution of 4-ATP-coated gold nanoparticles attached to skin tissue ex vivo.

Biological sensing with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) using a facile and rapid silver colloid-based synthesis technique

Science.gov (United States)

Smyth, C.; Mehigan, S.; Rakovich, Y. P.; Bell, S. E. J.; McCabe, E. M.

2011-03-01

Optical techniques towards the realisation of sensitive and selective biosensing platforms have received a considerable amount of attention in recent times. Techniques based on interferometry, surface plasmon resonance, field-effect transistors and waveguides have all proved popular, and in particular, spectroscopy offers a large range of options. Raman spectroscopy has always been viewed as an information rich technique in which the vibrational frequencies reveal a lot about the structure of a compound. The issue with Raman spectroscopy has traditionally been that its rather low cross section leads to poor limits-of-detection. In response to this problem, Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS), which increases sensitivity by bringing the sample in contact with many types of enhanceing substrates, has been developed. Here we discuss a facile and rapid technique for the detection of pterins using colloidal silver suspensions. Pteridine compounds are a family of biochemicals, heterocyclic in structure, and employed in nature as components of colour pigmentation and also as facilitators for many metabolic pathways, particularly those relating to the amino acid hydroxylases. In this work, xanthopterin, isoxanthopterin and 7,8- dihydrobiopterin have been examined whilst absorbed to SERS-active silver colloids. SERS, while far more sensitive than regular Raman spectroscopy, has its own issues relating to the reproducibility of substrates. In order to obtain quantitative data for the pteridine compounds mentioned above, exploratory studies of methods for introducing an internal standard for normalisation of the signals have been carried out.e

Aggregation of nanoparticles in endosomes and lysosomes produces surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Lucas, Leanne J.; Chen, Xiaoke K.; Smith, Aaron J.; Korbelik, Mladen; Zeng, Haishan; Lee, Patrick W. K.; Hewitt, Kevin Cecil

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the use of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to image the distribution of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in cells. To accomplish this task, 30-nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) tagged with antibodies to EGFR (1012 per mL) were incubated with cells (106 per mL) of the A431 human epidermoid carcinoma and normal human bronchial epithelial cell lines. Using the 632.8-nm excitation line of a He-Ne laser, Raman spectroscopy measurements were performed using a point mapping scheme. Normal cells show little to no enhancement. SERS signals were observed inside the cytoplasm of A431 cells with an overall enhancement of 4 to 7 orders of magnitude. Raman intensity maps of the 1450 and 1583 cm-1 peaks correlate well with the expected distribution of EGFR and AuNPs, aggregated following uptake by endosomes and lysosomes. Spectral features from tyrosine and tryptophan residues dominate the SERS signals.

Using Raman Spectroscopy and Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering to Identify Colorants in Art: An Experiment for an Upper-Division Chemistry Laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Mayhew, Hannah E.; Frano, Kristen A.; Svoboda, Shelley A.; Wustholz, Kristin L.

2015-01-01

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) studies of art represent an attractive way to introduce undergraduate students to concepts in nanoscience, vibrational spectroscopy, and instrumental analysis. Here, we present an undergraduate analytical or physical chemistry laboratory wherein a combination of normal Raman and SERS spectroscopy is used to…

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) fabrics for trace analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Jun; Zhou, Ji; Tang, Bin; Zeng, Tian; Li, Yaling; Li, Jingliang; Ye, Yong; Wang, Xungai

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Gold nanoparticles are in-situ synthesized on silk fabrics by heating. • Flexible silk fabrics with gold nanoparticles are used for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). • SERS activities of silk fabrics with different gold contents are investigated. - Abstract: Flexible SERS active substrates were prepared by modification of silk fabrics with gold nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticles were in-situ synthesized after heating the silk fabrics immersed in gold ion solution. Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) properties of the treated silk fabrics varied as the concentration of gold ions changed, in relation to the morphologies of gold nanoparticles on silk. In addition, X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to observe the structure of the gold nanoparticle treated silk fabrics. The SERS enhancement effect of the silk fabrics treated with gold nanoparticles was evaluated by collecting Raman signals of different concentrations of p-aminothiophenol (PATP), 4-mercaptopyridine (4-MPy) and crystal violet (CV) solutions. The results demonstrate that the silk fabrics corresponding to 0.3 and 0.4 mM of gold ions possess high SERS activity compared to the other treated fabrics. It is suggested that both the gold content and morphologies of gold nanoparticles dominate the SERS effect of the treated silk fabrics.

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) fabrics for trace analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Jun [National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Yarn and Fabric Formation and Clean Production, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430073 (China); Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials & Key Laboratory for the Synthesis and Application of Organic Functional Molecules, Ministry of Education & College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062 (China); Zhou, Ji [Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials & Key Laboratory for the Synthesis and Application of Organic Functional Molecules, Ministry of Education & College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062 (China); Tang, Bin, E-mail: bin.tang@deakin.edu.au [National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Yarn and Fabric Formation and Clean Production, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430073 (China); Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3216 (Australia); Zeng, Tian; Li, Yaling [Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials & Key Laboratory for the Synthesis and Application of Organic Functional Molecules, Ministry of Education & College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062 (China); Li, Jingliang [Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3216 (Australia); Ye, Yong, E-mail: yeyong@hubu.edu.cn [Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials & Key Laboratory for the Synthesis and Application of Organic Functional Molecules, Ministry of Education & College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062 (China); Wang, Xungai [National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Yarn and Fabric Formation and Clean Production, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430073 (China); Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3216 (Australia)

2016-11-15

Highlights: • Gold nanoparticles are in-situ synthesized on silk fabrics by heating. • Flexible silk fabrics with gold nanoparticles are used for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). • SERS activities of silk fabrics with different gold contents are investigated. - Abstract: Flexible SERS active substrates were prepared by modification of silk fabrics with gold nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticles were in-situ synthesized after heating the silk fabrics immersed in gold ion solution. Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) properties of the treated silk fabrics varied as the concentration of gold ions changed, in relation to the morphologies of gold nanoparticles on silk. In addition, X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to observe the structure of the gold nanoparticle treated silk fabrics. The SERS enhancement effect of the silk fabrics treated with gold nanoparticles was evaluated by collecting Raman signals of different concentrations of p-aminothiophenol (PATP), 4-mercaptopyridine (4-MPy) and crystal violet (CV) solutions. The results demonstrate that the silk fabrics corresponding to 0.3 and 0.4 mM of gold ions possess high SERS activity compared to the other treated fabrics. It is suggested that both the gold content and morphologies of gold nanoparticles dominate the SERS effect of the treated silk fabrics.

Simulating Surface-Enhanced Hyper-Raman Scattering Using Atomistic Electrodynamics-Quantum Mechanical Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Zhongwei; Chulhai, Dhabih V; Jensen, Lasse

2016-12-13

Surface-enhanced hyper-Raman scattering (SEHRS) is the two-photon analogue of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), which has proven to be a powerful tool to study molecular structures and surface enhancements. However, few theoretical approaches to SEHRS exist and most neglect the atomistic descriptions of the metal surface and molecular resonance effects. In this work, we present two atomistic electrodynamics-quantum mechanical models to simulate SEHRS. The first is the discrete interaction model/quantum mechanical (DIM/QM) model, which combines an atomistic electrodynamics model of the nanoparticle with a time-dependent density functional theory description of the molecule. The second model is a dressed-tensors method that describes the molecule as a point-dipole and point-quadrupole object interacting with the enhanced local field and field-gradients (FG) from the nanoparticle. In both of these models, the resonance effects are treated efficiently by means of damped quadratic response theory. Using these methods, we simulate SEHRS spectra for benzene and pyridine. Our results show that the FG effects in SEHRS play an important role in determining both the surface selection rules and the enhancements. We find that FG effects are more important in SEHRS than in SERS. We also show that the spectral features of small molecules can be accurately described by accounting for the interactions between the molecule and the local field and FG of the nanoparticle. However, at short distances between the metal and molecule, we find significant differences in the SEHRS enhancements predicted using the DIM/QM and the dressed-tensors methods.

Implementation of molecularly imprinted polymer beads for surface enhanced Raman detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamra, Tripta; Zhou, Tongchang; Montelius, Lars; Schnadt, Joachim; Ye, Lei

2015-01-01

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have a predesigned molecular recognition capability that can be used to build robust chemical sensors. MIP-based chemical sensors allow label-free detection and are particularly interesting due to their simple operation. In this work we report the use of thiol-terminated MIP microspheres to construct surfaces for detection of a model organic analyte, nicotine, by surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The nicotine-imprinted microspheres are synthesized by RAFT precipitation polymerization and converted into thiol-terminated microspheres through aminolysis. The thiol groups on the MIP surface allow the microspheres to be immobilized on a gold-coated substrate. Three different strategies are investigated to achieve surface enhanced Raman scattering in the vicinity of the imprinted sites: (1) direct sputtering of gold nanoparticles, (2) immobilization of gold colloids through the MIP's thiol groups, and (3) trapping of the MIP microspheres in a patterned SERS substrate. For the first time we show that large MIP microspheres can be turned into selective SERS surfaces through the three different approaches of assembly. The MIP-based sensing surfaces are used to detect nicotine to demonstrate the proof of concept. As synthesis and surface functionalization of MIP microspheres and nanoparticles are well established, the methods reported in this work are handy and efficient for constructing label-free chemical sensors, in particular for those based on SERS detection.

Probing cytochrome c in living mitochondria with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brazhe, Nadezda A.; Evlyukhin, Andrey B.; Goodilin, Eugene A.

2015-01-01

Selective study of the electron transport chain components in living mitochondria is essential for fundamental biophysical research and for the development of new medical diagnostic methods. However, many important details of inter- and intramembrane mitochondrial processes have remained in shadow...... due to the lack of non-invasive techniques. Here we suggest a novel label-free approach based on the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to monitor the redox state and conformation of cytochrome c in the electron transport chain in living mitochondria. We demonstrate that SERS spectra of living...... mitochondria placed on hierarchically structured silver-ring substrates provide exclusive information about cytochrome c behavior under modulation of inner mitochondrial membrane potential, proton gradient and the activity of ATP-synthetase. Mathematical simulation explains the observed enhancement of Raman...

Enhanced Raman scattering in porous silicon grating.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jiajia; Jia, Zhenhong; Lv, Changwu

2018-03-19

The enhancement of Raman signal on monocrystalline silicon gratings with varying groove depths and on porous silicon grating were studied for a highly sensitive surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) response. In the experiment conducted, porous silicon gratings were fabricated. Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were then deposited on the porous silicon grating to enhance the Raman signal of the detective objects. Results show that the enhancement of Raman signal on silicon grating improved when groove depth increased. The enhanced performance of Raman signal on porous silicon grating was also further improved. The Rhodamine SERS response based on Ag NPs/ porous silicon grating substrates was enhanced relative to the SERS response on Ag NPs/ porous silicon substrates. Ag NPs / porous silicon grating SERS substrate system achieved a highly sensitive SERS response due to the coupling of various Raman enhancement factors.

Ultrasensitive detection of phenolic antioxidants by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Ornelas-Soto, N.; Aguilar-Hernández, I. A.; Afseth, N.; López-Luke, T.; Contreras-Torres, F. F.; Wold, J. P.

2017-08-01

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful surface-sensitive technique to study the vibrational properties of analytes at very low concentrations. In this study, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid and sinapic acid were analyzed by SERS using Ag colloids. Analytes were detected up to 2.5x10-9M. For caffeic acid and coumaric acid, this detection limit has been reached for the first time, as well as the SERS analysis of sinapic acid using silver colloids.

Plasmonic Heterodimers with Binding Site-Dependent Hot Spot for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Yuanyuan; Shuai, Zhenhua; Shen, Jingjing; Zhang, Lei; Chen, Shufen; Song, Chunyuan; Zhao, Baomin; Fan, Quli; Wang, Lianhui

2018-05-07

A novel plasmonic heterodimer nanostructure with a controllable self-assembled hot spot is fabricated by the conjugation of individual Au@Ag core-shell nanocubes (Au@Ag NCs) and varisized gold nanospheres (GNSs) via the biotin-streptavidin interaction from the ensemble to the single-assembly level. Due to their featured configurations, three types of heterogeneous nanostructures referred to as Vertice, Vicinity, and Middle are proposed and a single hot spot forms between the nanocube and nanosphere, which exhibits distinct diversity in surface plasmon resonance effect. Herein, the calculated surface-enhanced Raman scattering enhancement factors of the three types of heterodimers show a narrow distribution and can be tuned in orders of magnitude by controlling the size of GNSs onto individual Au@Ag NCs. Particularly, the Vertice heterodimer with unique configuration can provide extraordinary enhancement of the electric field for the single hot spot region due to the collaborative interaction of lightning rod effect and interparticle plasmon coupling effect. This established relationship between the architecture and the corresponding optical properties of the heterodimers provides the basis for creating controllable platforms which can be exploited in the applications of plasmonic devices, electronics, and biodetection. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Tip-enhanced near-field Raman spectroscopy with a scanning tunneling microscope and side-illumination optics.

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, K J; He, X N; Zhou, Y S; Xiong, W; Lu, Y F

2008-07-01

Conventional Raman spectroscopy (RS) suffers from low spatial resolution and low detection sensitivity due to the optical diffraction limit and small interaction cross sections. It has been reported that a highly localized and significantly enhanced electromagnetic field could be generated in the proximity of a metallic tip illuminated by a laser beam. In this study, a tip-enhanced RS system was developed to both improve the resolution and enhance the detection sensitivity using the tip-enhanced near-field effects. This instrument, by combining RS with a scanning tunneling microscope and side-illumination optics, demonstrated significant enhancement on both optical sensitivity and spatial resolution using either silver (Ag)-coated tungsten (W) tips or gold (Au) tips. The sensitivity improvement was verified by observing the enhancement effects on silicon (Si) substrates. Lateral resolution was verified to be below 100 nm by mapping Ag nanostructures. By deploying the depolarization technique, an apparent enhancement of 175% on Si substrates was achieved. Furthermore, the developed instrument features fast and reliable optical alignment, versatile sample adaptability, and effective suppression of far-field signals.

Sensitive determination of dopamine levels via surface-enhanced Raman scattering of Ag nanoparticle dimers.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Xiantong; He, XiaoXiao; Yang, Taiqun; Zhao, Litao; Chen, Qichen; Zhang, Sanjun; Chen, Jinquan; Xu, Jianhua

2018-01-01

Dopamine (DA) is an important neurotransmitter in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, which can produce a direct influence on mammals' emotions in midbrain. Additionally, the level of DA is highly related with some important neurologic diseases such as schizophrenia, Parkinson, and Huntington's diseases, etc. In light of the important roles that DA plays in the disease modulation, it is of considerable significance to develop a sensitive and reproducible approach for monitoring DA. The objective of this study was to develop an efficient approach to quantitatively monitor the level of DA using Ag nanoparticle (NP) dimers and enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Ag NP dimers were synthesized for the sensitive detection of DA via surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Citrate was used as both the capping agent of NPs and sensing agent to DA, which is self-assembled on the surface of Ag NP dimers by reacting with the surface carboxyl group to form a stable amide bond. To improve accuracy and precision, the multiplicative effects model for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy was utilized to analyze the SERS assays. A low limits of detection (LOD) of 20 pM and a wide linear response range from 30 pM to 300 nM were obtained for DA quantitative detection. The SERS enhancement factor was theoretically valued at approximately 10 7 by discrete dipole approximation. DA was self-assembled on the citrate capped surface of Ag NPs dimers through the amide bond. The adsorption energy was estimated to be 256 KJ/mol using the Langmuir isotherm model. The density functional theory was used to simulate the spectral characteristics of SERS during the adsorption of DA on the surface of the Ag dimers. Furthermore, to improve the accuracy and precision of quantitative analysis of SERS assays with a multiplicative effects model for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. A LOD of 20 pM DA-level was obtained, and the linear response ranged from 30 pM to 300 nM for quantitative DA detection. The

Surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy substrate for arsenic sensing in groundwater

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Peidong; Mulvihill, Martin; Tao, Andrea R.; Sinsermsuksakul, Prasert; Arnold, John

2015-06-16

A surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate formed from a plurality of monolayers of polyhedral silver nanocrystals, wherein at least one of the monolayers has polyvinypyrrolidone (PVP) on its surface, and thereby configured for sensing arsenic is described. Highly active SERS substrates are formed by assembling high density monolayers of differently shaped silver nanocrystals onto a solid support. SERS detection is performed directly on this substrate by placing a droplet of the analyte solution onto the nanocrystal monolayer. Adsorbed polymer, polyvinypyrrolidone (PVP), on the surface of the nanoparticles facilitates the binding of both arsenate and arsenite near the silver surface, allowing for highly accurate and sensitive detection capabilities.

[Study on the surface-enhanced Raman spectrum of trimethoprim].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jin-zhi; Wang, Yuan

2003-02-01

A new method is given in this paper to study the spectra of trimethoprim by using the surface-enhanced Raman spectrum (SERS) technology and the highly efficient thin layer chromatography (TLC) dissociation technology. The results of SERS indicate that the main vibrant spectral band can be obtained by TLC in the samples of about 6 micrograms. The expansion and contraction of pyrimidine ring can be obviously increased and the molecule information can be exactly presented under the action of silver particles.

Ambiance-dependent agglomeration and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy response of self-assembled silver nanoparticles for plasmonic photovoltaic devices

Science.gov (United States)

Gwamuri, Jephias; Venkatesan, Ragavendran; Sadatgol, Mehdi; Mayandi, Jeyanthinath; Guney, Durdu O.; Pearce, Joshua M.

2017-07-01

The agglomeration/dewetting process of thin silver films provides a scalable method of obtaining self-assembled nanoparticles (SANPs) for plasmonics-based thin-film solar photovoltaic (PV) devices. We show the effect of annealing ambiance on silver SANP average size, particle/cluster finite shape, substrate area coverage/particle distribution, and how these physical parameters influence optical properties and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) responses of SANPs. Statistical analysis performed indicates that generally Ag SANPs processed in the presence of a gas (argon and nitrogen) ambiance tend to have smaller average size particles compared to those processed under vacuum. Optical properties are observed to be highly dependent on particle size, separation distance, and finite shape. The greatest SERS enhancement was observed for the argon-processed samples. There is a correlation between simulation and experimental data that indicate argon-processed AgNPs have a great potential to enhance light coupling when integrated to thin-film PV.

NIR–FT Raman, FT–IR and surface-enhanced Raman scattering ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Administrator

Single crystals of (S)-phenylsuccinic acid (SPSA) were grown by the slow evaporation tech- nique and vibrational ... the shift of Raman frequencies, enhancing or weak- ening of .... Harmonic vibrational wave numbers were cal- culated using ...

Evolution of interfacial intercalation chemistry on epitaxial graphene/SiC by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferralis, Nicola; Carraro, Carlo

2014-01-01

Highlights: • H-intercalated epitaxial graphene–SiC interface studied with surface enhanced Raman. • Evolution of graphene and H–Si interface with UV-ozone, annealing and O-exposure. • H–Si interface and quasi-freestanding graphene are retained after UV-ozone treatment. • Enhanced ozonolytic reactivity at the edges of H-intercalated defected graphene. • Novel SERS method for characterizing near-surface graphene–substrate interfaces. - Abstract: A rapid and facile evaluation of the effects of physical and chemical processes on the interfacial layer between epitaxial graphene monolayers on SiC(0 0 0 1) surfaces is essential for applications in electronics, photonics, and optoelectronics. Here, the evolution of the atomic scale epitaxial graphene-buffer-layer–SiC interface through hydrogen intercalation, thermal annealings, UV-ozone etching and oxygen exposure is studied by means of single microparticle mediated surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (smSERS). The evolution of the interfacial chemistry in the buffer layer is monitored through the Raman band at 2132 cm −1 corresponding to the Si-H stretch mode. Graphene quality is monitored directly by the selectively enhanced Raman signal of graphene compared to the SiC substrate signal. Through smSERS, a simultaneous correlation between optimized hydrogen intercalation in epitaxial graphene/SiC and an increase in graphene quality is uncovered. Following UV-ozone treatment, a fully hydrogen passivated interface is retained, while a moderate degradation in the quality of the hydrogen intercalated quasi-freestanding graphene is observed. While hydrogen intercalated defect free quasi-freestanding graphene is expected to be robust upon UV-ozone, thermal annealing, and oxygen exposure, ozonolytic reactivity at the edges of H-intercalated defected graphene results in enhanced amorphization of the quasi-freestanding (compared to non-intercalated) graphene, leading ultimately to its complete etching

Evolution of interfacial intercalation chemistry on epitaxial graphene/SiC by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferralis, Nicola, E-mail: ferralis@mit.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Carraro, Carlo [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

2014-11-30

Highlights: • H-intercalated epitaxial graphene–SiC interface studied with surface enhanced Raman. • Evolution of graphene and H–Si interface with UV-ozone, annealing and O-exposure. • H–Si interface and quasi-freestanding graphene are retained after UV-ozone treatment. • Enhanced ozonolytic reactivity at the edges of H-intercalated defected graphene. • Novel SERS method for characterizing near-surface graphene–substrate interfaces. - Abstract: A rapid and facile evaluation of the effects of physical and chemical processes on the interfacial layer between epitaxial graphene monolayers on SiC(0 0 0 1) surfaces is essential for applications in electronics, photonics, and optoelectronics. Here, the evolution of the atomic scale epitaxial graphene-buffer-layer–SiC interface through hydrogen intercalation, thermal annealings, UV-ozone etching and oxygen exposure is studied by means of single microparticle mediated surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (smSERS). The evolution of the interfacial chemistry in the buffer layer is monitored through the Raman band at 2132 cm{sup −1} corresponding to the Si-H stretch mode. Graphene quality is monitored directly by the selectively enhanced Raman signal of graphene compared to the SiC substrate signal. Through smSERS, a simultaneous correlation between optimized hydrogen intercalation in epitaxial graphene/SiC and an increase in graphene quality is uncovered. Following UV-ozone treatment, a fully hydrogen passivated interface is retained, while a moderate degradation in the quality of the hydrogen intercalated quasi-freestanding graphene is observed. While hydrogen intercalated defect free quasi-freestanding graphene is expected to be robust upon UV-ozone, thermal annealing, and oxygen exposure, ozonolytic reactivity at the edges of H-intercalated defected graphene results in enhanced amorphization of the quasi-freestanding (compared to non-intercalated) graphene, leading ultimately to its complete etching.

Boron nitride nanosheets as improved and reusable substrates for gold nanoparticles enabled surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

KAUST Repository

Cai, Qiran

2015-01-01

Atomically thin boron nitride (BN) nanosheets have been found to be excellent substrates for noble metal particles enabled surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), thanks to their good adsorption of aromatic molecules, high thermal stability and weak Raman scattering. Faceted gold (Au) nanoparticles have been synthesized on BN nanosheets using a simple but controllable and reproducible sputtering and annealing method. The size and density of the Au particles can be controlled by sputtering time, current and annealing temperature etc. Under the same sputtering and annealing conditions, the Au particles on BN of different thicknesses show various sizes because the surface diffusion coefficients of Au depend on the thickness of BN. Intriguingly, decorated with similar morphology and distribution of Au particles, BN nanosheets exhibit better Raman enhancements than silicon substrates as well as bulk BN crystals. Additionally, BN nanosheets show no noticeable SERS signal and hence cause no interference to the Raman signal of the analyte. The Au/BN substrates can be reused by heating in air to remove the adsorbed analyte without loss of SERS enhancement. This journal is © the Owner Societies 2015.

Glucose oxidase probe as a surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensor for glucose.

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Guohua; Wang, Yi; Zhang, Biying; Sun, Dan; Fu, Cuicui; Xu, Weiqing; Xu, Shuping

2016-10-01

Glucose oxidase (GOx) possessing a Raman-active chromophore (flavin adenine dinucleotide) is used as a signal reporter for constructing a highly specific "turn off" surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensor for glucose. This sensing chip is made by the electrostatic assembly of GOx over silver nanoparticle (Ag NP)-functionalized SERS substrate through a positively charged polyelectrolyte linker under the pH of 6.86. To trace glucose in blood serum, owing to the reduced pH value caused by the production of gluconic acid in the GOx-catalyzed oxidation reaction, the bonding force between GOx and polyelectrolyte weakens, making GOx drop off from the sensing chip. As a result, the SERS intensity of GOx on the chip decreases along with the concentration of glucose. This glucose SERS sensor exhibits excellent selectivity based on the specific GOx/glucose catalysis reaction and high sensitivity to 1.0 μM. The linear sensing range is 2.0-14.0 mM, which also meets the requirement on the working range of the human blood glucose detection. Using GOx as a probe shows superiority over other organic probes because GOx almost has no toxicity to the biological system. This sensing mechanism can be applied for intracellular in vivo SERS monitoring of glucose in the future. Graphical abstract Glucose oxidase is used as a Raman signal reporter for constructing a highly specific glucose surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensor.

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy platform based on graphene with one-year stability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tite, Teddy [Univ Lyon, UJM-Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Laboratoire Hubert Curien UMR 5516, 18 rue Professeur Benoit Lauras, F-42000 Saint-Etienne (France); Barnier, Vincent [Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines, CNRS, Laboratoire Georges Friedel UMR 5307, 158 cours Fauriel, F-42023 Saint-Etienne (France); Donnet, Christophe, E-mail: Christophe.Donnet@univ-st-etienne.fr [Univ Lyon, UJM-Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Laboratoire Hubert Curien UMR 5516, 18 rue Professeur Benoit Lauras, F-42000 Saint-Etienne (France); Loir, Anne–Sophie; Reynaud, Stéphanie; Michalon, Jean–Yves; Vocanson, Francis; Garrelie, Florence [Univ Lyon, UJM-Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Laboratoire Hubert Curien UMR 5516, 18 rue Professeur Benoit Lauras, F-42000 Saint-Etienne (France)

2016-04-01

We report the synthesis, characterization and use of a robust surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy platform with a stable detection for up to one year of Rhodamine R6G at a concentration of 10{sup −6} M. The detection of aminothiophenol and methyl parathion, as active molecules of commercial insecticides, is further demonstrated at concentrations down to 10{sup −5}–10{sup −6} M. This platform is based on large scale textured few-layer (fl) graphene obtained without any need of graphene transfer. The synthesis route is based on diamond-like carbon films grown by pulsed laser deposition, deposited onto silicon substrates covered by a Ni layer prior to diamond-like carbon deposition. The formation of fl-graphene film, confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and mapping, is obtained by thermal annealing inducing the diffusion of Ni atoms and the concomitant formation of nickel silicide compounds, as identified by Raman and Auger electron spectroscopies. The textured fl-graphene films were decorated with gold nanoparticles to optimize the efficiency of the SERS device to detect organic molecules at low concentrations. - Highlights: • Synthesis of graphene film from amorphous carbon by pulsed laser deposition with nickel catalyst • Large scale textured graphene with nanoscale roughness obtained through nickel silicide formation • Films used for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy detection of organophosphate compounds • Stability of the SERS platforms over up to one year.

Ag/SiO2 surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrate for plasticizer detection

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Ming-Chung; Lin, Ming-Pin; Lin, Ting-Han; Su, Wei-Fang

2018-04-01

In this study, we demonstrated a simple method of fabricating a high-performance surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate. Monodispersive SiO2 colloidal spheres were self-assembled on a silicon wafer, and then a silver layer was coated on it to obtain a Ag/SiO2 SERS substrate. The Ag/SiO2 SERS substrates were used to detect three kinds of plasticizer with different concentrations, namely, including bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), and dibutyl phthalate (DBP). The enhancement of Raman scattering intensity caused by surface plasmon resonance can be observed using the Ag/SiO2 SERS substrates. The Ag/SiO2 SERS substrate with a 150-nm-thick silver layer can detect plasticizers, and it satisfies the detection limit of plasticizers at 100 ppm. The developed highly sensitive Ag/SiO2 SERS substrates show a potential for the design and fabrication of functional sensors to identify the harmful plasticizers that plastic products release in daily life.

One-process fabrication of metal hierarchical nanostructures with rich nanogaps for highly-sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Gui-qiang; Yu, Mei-dong; Liu, Zheng-qi; Liu, Xiao-shan; Huang, Shan; Pan, Ping-ping; Wang, Yan; Liu, Mu-lin; Gu, Gang

2015-01-01

One-process fabrication of highly active and reproducible surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates via ion beam deposition is reported. The fabricated metal–dielectric–metal (MDM) hierarchical nanostructure possesses rich nanogaps and a tunable resonant cavity. Raman scattering signals of analytes are dramatically strengthened due to the strong near-field coupling of localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) and the strong interaction of LSPRs of metal NPs with surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) on the underlying metal film by crossing over the dielectric spacer. The maximum Raman enhancement for the highest Raman peak at 1650 cm −1 is 13.5 times greater than that of a single metal nanoparticle (NP) array. Moreover, the SERS activity can be efficiently tailored by varying the size and number of voids between adjacent metal NPs and the thickness of the dielectric spacer. These findings may broaden the scope of SERS applications of MDM hierarchical nanostructures in biomedical and analytical chemistry. (paper)

In Situ Detection of Trace Furfural in Aqueous Solution Based on Au Nanoparticle/Au Film Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Qi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Furfural is an important chemical solvent and intermediate. Sensitive detection of this compound has attracted great interest in various fields. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS is a highly sensitive method for material detection because of its optical enhancement effect of plasmonic nanostructures. This study presents a simple and versatile method to synthesize a SERS substrate, where polyaminothiophenol (PATP was used to realize the stable combination of Au nanoparticles (AuNPs and Au film via self-assembly. The near-field electric field distribution was calculated using the finite difference time domain (FDTD simulation to determine the parameters responsible for electric field enhancement. The simulation results show that SERS enhanced factors are sensitive to interparticle spacing and materials for solid support but insensitive to particle size. Moreover, the experimental results show that the optimized substrates with the highest Raman activity were formed by six layers of 60 nm AuNPs decorated on a 30 nm thick Au film, thereby validating the simulation results. The SERS factor of the optimal substrates is approximately 5.57 × 103, and the in situ detection limit is 4.8 ppm. The 3D Raman spectra, relative standard deviation values for major peaks, and changes in signal intensity with time show the good reproducibility and stability of the substrates.

A monolayer of hierarchical silver hemi-mesoparticles with tunable surface topographies for highly sensitive surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Shuangmei; Fan, Chunzhen; Mao, Yanchao; Wang, Junqiao; He, Jinna; Liang, Erjun; Chao, Mingju

2016-02-01

We proposed a facile green synthesis system to synthesize large-scale Ag hemi-mesoparticles monolayer on Cu foil. Ag hemi-mesoparticles have different surface morphologies on their surfaces, including ridge-like, meatball-like, and fluffy-like shapes. In the reaction, silver nitrate was reduced by copper at room temperature in dimethyl sulfoxide via the galvanic displacement reaction. The different surface morphologies of the Ag hemi-mesoparticles were adjusted by changing the reaction time, and the hemi-mesoparticle surface formed fluffy-spherical nanoprotrusions at longer reaction time. At the same time, we explored the growth mechanism of silver hemi-mesoparticles with different surface morphologies. With 4-mercaptobenzoic acid as Raman probe molecules, the fluffy-like silver hemi-mesoparticles monolayer with the best activity of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), the enhancement factor is up to 7.33 × 107 and the detection limit can reach 10-10M. SERS measurements demonstrate that these Ag hemi-mesoparticles can serve as sensitive SERS substrates. At the same time, using finite element method, the distribution of the localized electromagnetic field near the particle surface was simulated to verify the enhanced mechanism. This study helps us to understand the relationship between morphology Ag hemi-mesoparicles and the properties of SERS.

Probing the adsorption mechanism in thiamazole bound to the silver surface with Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering and DFT

Science.gov (United States)

Biswas, Nandita; Thomas, Susy; Sarkar, Anjana; Mukherjee, Tulsi; Kapoor, Sudhir

2009-09-01

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of thiamazole have been investigated in aqueous solution. Thiamazole is an important anti-thyroid drug that is used in the treatment of hyperthyroidism (over activity of the thyroid gland). Due to its medicinal importance, the surface adsorption properties of thiamazole have been studied. The experimental Raman and SERS data are supported with DFT calculations using B3LYP functional with LANL2DZ basis set. From the SERS spectra as well as theoretical calculations, it has been inferred that thiamazole is chemisorbed to the silver surface directly through the sulphur atom and the ring N atom, with a tilted orientation.

Mathematical model for biomolecular quantification using large-area surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy mapping

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Palla, Mirkó; Bosco, Filippo; Yang, Jaeyoung

2015-01-01

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based on nanostructured platforms is a promising technique for quantitative and highly sensitive detection of biomolecules in the field of analytical biochemistry. Here, we report a mathematical model to predict experimental SERS signal (or hotspot) inte...

Controlled Clustering of Gold Nanoparticles using Solid-support for Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopic Probes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Hyejin; Chae, Jinjoo; Jeong, Hong; Kang, Homan; Lee, Yoonsik

2014-01-01

We fabricated small clusters of gold nanoparticles by using solid-supported aggregation of gold nanoparticles. The fabricated Au nanoclusters consisting mainly of dimers showed homogeneous characteristics in cluster size and SERS intensity. The SERS enhancement of 4-ABT molecules in an effective area within 2-nm gap appeared to be approximately 10. Detachment process by ultrasonication was successively carried out in order to use the nanoclusters as SERS probes. The possibility of these clusters as SERS probe was proved in terms of signal and cluster size. Single molecule-level sensitivity of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) was known approximately fifteen years ago. Ever since there have been many different applications benefiting from the ultra-high sensitivity such as single molecule detection, chemical sensing and bio-molecular probes. Especially, SERS has drawn much attention in bio-multiplexing probes owing to its unique optical characteristics claiming extremely narrow bandwidth, high sensitivity of light signals, and non-bleaching feature

Controlled Clustering of Gold Nanoparticles using Solid-support for Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopic Probes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, Hyejin; Chae, Jinjoo; Jeong, Hong [Department of Chemistry Education, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Homan; Lee, Yoonsik [Interdisciplinary Program in Nano-Science and Technology, Pohang (Korea, Republic of)

2014-03-15

We fabricated small clusters of gold nanoparticles by using solid-supported aggregation of gold nanoparticles. The fabricated Au nanoclusters consisting mainly of dimers showed homogeneous characteristics in cluster size and SERS intensity. The SERS enhancement of 4-ABT molecules in an effective area within 2-nm gap appeared to be approximately 10. Detachment process by ultrasonication was successively carried out in order to use the nanoclusters as SERS probes. The possibility of these clusters as SERS probe was proved in terms of signal and cluster size. Single molecule-level sensitivity of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) was known approximately fifteen years ago. Ever since there have been many different applications benefiting from the ultra-high sensitivity such as single molecule detection, chemical sensing and bio-molecular probes. Especially, SERS has drawn much attention in bio-multiplexing probes owing to its unique optical characteristics claiming extremely narrow bandwidth, high sensitivity of light signals, and non-bleaching feature.

Electromagnetic study of surface enhanced Raman scattering of plasmonic-biomolecule: An interaction between nanodimer and single biomolecule

Science.gov (United States)

Pandey, Gyanendra Krishna; Pathak, Nilesh Kumar; Uma, R.; Sharma, R. P.

2017-04-01

In this article we have investigated the electromagnetic surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of single biomolecule adsorbed at the surface of spherical nanodimer. The SERS mechanism has been studied using first principle approach for spherical nanodimer geometry. The coupling of plasmonic concept to biomolecule results the broadband tunable enhancement in Raman gain factor. In this observation the enhancement factor was observed around ≈ 1015. The plasmonic properties of metal nanodimer are analysed in terms of surface plasmon resonances, extinction efficiency and polarisability that have been derived under quasistatic approximation. In this paper, various facets like interdipole separation, molecule distance and size of the plasmonic nanogeometry are taken into account to analyse the Raman gain factor. We also observe that the frequency range expands sufficiently which increases the broad detectability range of the molecule which generates signal even in the outside of Raman range i.e. in between IR to UV region. Lastly, the extinction spectra and electric field profile have been evaluated at resonance wavelength 364 nm. The comparison between electrostatic approach and numerical approach (using DDA) has also been done in terms of extinction spectra.

Silver-capped silicon nanopillar platforms for adsorption studies of folic acid using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Castillo, Jaime; Rindzevicius, Tomas; Wu, Kaiyu

2015-01-01

The study of the interactions of folic acid (FA) with surface enhanced Raman scattering substrates is relevant for understanding its adsorption mechanismand for fabricating analytical devices for detection ofmalignant cells over-expressing folate receptors. This paper presents a study of the adso......The study of the interactions of folic acid (FA) with surface enhanced Raman scattering substrates is relevant for understanding its adsorption mechanismand for fabricating analytical devices for detection ofmalignant cells over-expressing folate receptors. This paper presents a study...... of the adsorption of FA on silver-capped silicon nanopillar substrates employing surface enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. The experimentally observed vibrations from free FA and FA bound to the Ag surface display different vibrational spectra indicating chemical...

Horizontal silicon nanowires for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Gebavi, Hrvoje; Ristić, Davor; Baran, Nikola; Mikac, Lara; Mohaček-Grošev, Vlasta; Gotić, Marijan; Šikić, Mile; Ivanda, Mile

2018-01-01

The main purpose of this paper is to focus on details of the fabrication process of horizontally and vertically oriented silicon nanowires (SiNWs) substrates for the application of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The fabrication process is based on the vapor-liquid-solid method and electroless-assisted chemical etching, which, as the major benefit, resulting in the development of economical, easy-to-prepare SERS substrates. Furthermore, we examined the fabrication of Au coated Ag nanoparticles (NPs) on the SiNWs substrates in such a way as to diminish the influence of silver NPs corrosion, which, in turn, enhanced the SERS time stability, thus allowing for wider commercial applications. The substances on which high SERS sensitivity was proved are rhodamine (R6G) and 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (MBA), with the detection limits of 10-8 M and 10-6 M, respectively.

Recent strategies toward microfluidic-based surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Týčová, Anna; Přikryl, Jan; Foret, František

2017-01-01

Roč. 38, č. 16 (2017), s. 1977-1987 ISSN 0173-0835 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP206/12/G014 Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) MSM200311601 Program:Program na podporu mezinárodní spolupráce začínajících výzkumných pracovníků Institutional support: RVO:68081715 Keywords : microfluidics * nanoparticles * separation * Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation OBOR OECD: Analytical chemistry Impact factor: 2.744, year: 2016

Estimating the Analytical and Surface Enhancement Factors in Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS): A Novel Physical Chemistry and Nanotechnology Laboratory Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Pavel, Ioana E.; Alnajjar, Khadijeh S.; Monahan, Jennifer L.; Stahler, Adam; Hunter, Nora E.; Weaver, Kent M.; Baker, Joshua D.; Meyerhoefer, Allie J.; Dolson, David A.

2012-01-01

A novel laboratory experiment was successfully implemented for undergraduate and graduate students in physical chemistry and nanotechnology. The main goal of the experiment was to rigorously determine the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based sensing capabilities of colloidal silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). These were quantified by…

Facile preparation of water dispersible polypyrrole nanotube-supported silver nanoparticles for hydrogen peroxide reduction and surface-enhanced Raman scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng Yingjing; Qiu Lihua; Pan Congtao; Wang Cancan; Shang Songmin; Yan Feng

2012-01-01

Water dispersible polypyrrole nanotube/silver nanoparticle hybrids (PPyNT-COOAgNP) were synthesized via a cation-exchange method. The approach involves the surface functionalization of PPyNTs with carboxylic acid groups (-COOH), and cation-exchange with silver ions (Ag + ) and followed by the reduction of metal ions. The morphology and optical properties of the produced PPyNT-COOAgNP nanohybrids were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer, and UV–vis spectroscopy. The as-prepared PPyNT-COOAgNP nanohybrids exhibited well-defined response to the reduction of hydrogen peroxide, and as extremely suitable substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) with a high enhancement factor of 6.0 × 10 7 , and enabling the detection of 10 −12 M Rhodamine 6G solution.

Detection of Surface-Linked Polychlorinated Biphenyls using Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rindzevicius, Tomas; Barten, Jan; Vorobiev, Mikhail

2017-01-01

We present an improved procedure for analytical detection of toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. A gold-capped silicon nanopillar substrate was utilized to concentrate PCB molecules within an area of high electromagnetic fields through...... formation of microsized nanopillar clusters, and consequently, so-called “hot spots” can be formed. In order to improve PCB detection limit, 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB77) compounds were chemically modified with a – SCH3 (PCB77-SCH3) group. Experimental and numerical analysis of vibrational modes...

Amplification of Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Due to Substrate-Mediated Localized Surface Plasmons in Gold Nanodimers

KAUST Repository

Yue, Weisheng

2017-03-28

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is ubiquitous in chemical and biochemical sensing, imaging and identification. Maximizing SERS enhancement is a continuous effort focused on the design of appropriate SERS substrates. Here we show that significant improvement in a SERS signal can be achieved with substrates combining localized surface plasmon resonances and a nonresonant plasmonic substrate. By introducing a continuous gold (Au) film underneath Au nanodimers antenna arrays, an over 10-fold increase in SERS enhancement is demonstrated. Triangular, rectangle and disc dimers were studied, with bowtie antenna providing highest SERS enhancement. Simulations of electromagnetic field distributions of the Au nanodimers on the Au film support the observed enhancement dependences. The hybridization of localized plasmonic modes with the image modes in a metal film provides a straightforward way to improve SERS enhancement in designer SERS substrate.

Laser ablation surface-enhanced Raman microspectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Londero, Pablo S; Lombardi, John R; Leona, Marco

2013-06-04

Improved identification of trace organic compounds in complex matrixes is critical for a variety of fields such as material science, heritage science, and forensics. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a vibrational spectroscopy technique that can attain single-molecule sensitivity and has been shown to complement mass spectrometry, but lacks widespread application without a robust method that utilizes the effect. We demonstrate a new, highly sensitive, and widely applicable approach to SERS analysis based on laser ablation in the presence of a tailored plasmonic substrate. We analyze several challenging compounds, including non-water-soluble pigments and dyed leather from an ancient Egyptian chariot, achieving sensitivity as high as 120 amol for a 1:1 signal-to-noise ratio and 5 μm spatial resolution. This represents orders of magnitude improvement in spatial resolution and sensitivity compared to those of other SERS approaches intended for widespread application, greatly increasing the applicability of SERS.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering on molecular self-assembly in nanoparticle-hydrogel composite.

Science.gov (United States)

Miljanić, Snezana; Frkanec, Leo; Biljan, Tomislav; Meić, Zlatko; Zinić, Mladen

2006-10-24

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering has been applied to study weak intermolecular interactions between small organic gelling molecules involved in the silver nanoparticle-hydrogel composite formation. Assembly and disassembly of the gelator molecules in close vicinity to embedded silver nanoparticles were followed by changes in Raman intensity of the amide II and carboxyl vibrational bands, whereas the strength of the bands related to benzene modes remained constant. This implied that the gelator molecules were strongly attached to the silver particles through the benzene units, while participating in gel structure organization by intermolecular hydrogen bonding between oxalyl amide and carboxyl groups.

Visible wavelength surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy from In-InP nanopillars for biomolecule detection

Science.gov (United States)

Murdoch, B. J.; Portoles, J. F.; Tardio, S.; Barlow, A. J.; Fletcher, I. W.; Cumpson, P. J.

2016-12-01

Visible wavelength surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has been observed from bovine serum albumin (BSA) using In-InP nanopillars synthesised by Ar gas cluster ion beam sputtering of InP wafers. InP provides a high local refractive index for plasmonic In structures, which increases the wavelength of the In surface plasmon resonance. The Raman scattering signal was determined to be up to 285 times higher for BSA deposited onto In-InP nanopillars when compared with Si wafer substrates. These substrates demonstrate the label-free detection of biomolecules by visible wavelength SERS, without the use of noble metal particles.

Silver nanoparticles deposited on anodic aluminum oxide template using magnetron sputtering for surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wong-ek, Krongkamol [Nanoscience and Technology Program, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Eiamchai, Pitak; Horprathum, Mati; Patthanasettakul, Viyapol [National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, 112 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Rd., Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 (Thailand); Limnonthakul, Puenisara [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Mongkut' s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140 (Thailand); Chindaudom, Pongpan [National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, 112 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Rd., Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 (Thailand); Nuntawong, Noppadon, E-mail: noppadon.nuntawong@nectec.or.t [National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, 112 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Rd., Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 (Thailand)

2010-09-30

Low-cost and highly sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates have been fabricated by a simple anodizing process and a magnetron sputtering deposition. The substrates, which consist of silver nanoparticles embedded on anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates, are investigated by a scanning electron microscope and a confocal Raman spectroscopy. The SERS activities are demonstrated by Raman scattering from adsorbed solutions of methylene blue and pyridine on the SERS substrate surface. The most optimized SERS substrate contains the silver nanoparticles, with a size distribution of 10-30 nm, deposited on the AAO template. From a calculation, the SERS enhancement factor is as high as 8.5 x 10{sup 7}, which suggests strong potentials for direct applications in the chemical detection and analyses.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy on laser-engineered ruthenium dye-functionalized nanoporous gold

Science.gov (United States)

Schade, Lina; Franzka, Steffen; Biener, Monika; Biener, Jürgen; Hartmann, Nils

2016-06-01

Photothermal processing of nanoporous gold with a microfocused continuous-wave laser at λ = 532 nm provides a facile means in order engineer the pore and ligament size of nanoporous gold. In this report we take advantage of this approach in order to investigate the size-dependence of enhancement effects in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Surface structures with laterally varying pore sizes from 25 nm to ≥200 nm are characterized using scanning electron microscopy and then functionalized with N719, a commercial ruthenium complex, which is widely used in dye-sensitized solar cells. Raman spectroscopy reveals the characteristic spectral features of N719. Peak intensities strongly depend on the pore size. Highest intensities are observed on the native support, i.e. on nanoporous gold with pore sizes around 25 nm. These results demonstrate the particular perspectives of laser-fabricated nanoporous gold structures in fundamental SERS studies. In particular, it is emphasized that laser-engineered porous gold substrates represent a very well defined platform in order to study size-dependent effects with high reproducibility and precision and resolve conflicting results in previous studies.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering active gold nanoparticle/nanohole arrays fabricated through electron beam lithography

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Tsunghsueh; Lin, Yang-Wei

2018-03-01

Effective surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active substrates from gold nanoparticle and gold nanohole arrays were successfully fabricated through electron beam lithography with precise computer-aided control of the unit size and intergap distance. Their SERS performance was evaluated using 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA). These gold arrays yielded strong SERS signals under 785 nm laser excitation. The enhancement factors for 4-MBA molecules on the prepared gold nanoparticle and nanohole arrays maxed at 1.08 × 107 and 8.61 × 106, respectively. The observed increase in SERS enhancement was attributed to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) wavelength shifting toward the near-infrared regime when the gold nanohole diameter increased, in agreement with the theoretical prediction in this study. The contribution of LSPR to the Raman enhancement from nanohole arrays deposited on fluorine-doped tin oxide glass was elucidated by comparing SERS and transmission spectra. This simple fabrication procedure, which entails employing electron beam lithography and the controllability of the intergap distance, suggests highly promising uses of nanohole arrays as functional components in sensing and photonic devices.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) using Ag nanoparticle films produced by pulsed laser deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smyth, C.A., E-mail: smythc2@tcd.ie [School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2 (Ireland); Mirza, I.; Lunney, J.G.; McCabe, E.M. [School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2 (Ireland)

2013-01-01

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) produces silver nanoparticle films. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer These films can be used for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Commercial film shows good SERS reproducibility but poor signal intensity. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer PLD shows a good SERS response coupled with good reproducibility. - Abstract: Thin silver nanoparticle films, of thickness 7 nm, were deposited onto glass microslides using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The films were then characterised using UV-vis spectroscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy before Rhodamine 6G was deposited onto them for investigation using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The sensitivity obtained using SERS was compared to that obtained using a colloidal silver suspension and also to a commercial SERS substrate. The reproducibility of the films is also examined using statistical analysis.

Quick detection of traditional Chinese medicine ‘Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma’ pieces by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Hao; Shi, Hong; Feng, Shangyuan; Lin, Juqiang; Chen, Weiwei; Yu, Yun; Lin, Duo; Xu, Qian; Chen, Rong

2013-01-01

A surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) method was developed for the analysis of traditional Chinese medicine ‘Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma’ pieces (AMRP) for the first time with the aim to develop a quick method for traditional Chinese medicine detection. Both Raman spectra and SERS spectra were obtained from AMRP, and tentative assignments of the Raman bands in the measured spectra suggested that only a few weak Raman peaks could be observed in the regular Raman spectra, while primary Raman peaks at around 536, 555, 619, 648, 691, 733, 790, 958, 1004, 1031, 1112, 1244, 1324, 1395, 1469, 1574 and 1632 cm-1 could be observed in the SERS spectra, with the strongest signals at 619, 733, 958, 1324, 1395 and 1469 cm-1. This was due to a strong interaction between the silver colloids and the AMRP, which led to an extraordinary enhancement in the intensity of the Raman scattering in AMRP. This exploratory study suggests the SERS technique has great potential for providing a novel non-destructive method for effectively and accurately detecting traditional Chinese medicine without complicated separation and extraction.

Surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering spectroscopy of single R6G molecules

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Zhou Zeng-Hui; Liu Li; Wang Gui-Ying; Xu Zhi-Zhan

2006-01-01

Surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) adsorbed on colloidal silver clusters has been studied. Based on the great enhancement of the Raman signal and the quench of the fluorescence, the SERRS spectra of R6G were recorded for the samples of dye colloidal solution with different concentrations. Spectral inhomogeneity behaviours from single molecules in the dried sample films were observed with complementary evidences, such as spectral polarization, spectral diffusion, intensity fluctuation of vibrational lines and even "breathing" of the molecules. Sequential spectra observed from a liquid sample with an average of 0.3 dye molecules in the probed volume exhibited the expected Poisson distribution for actually measuring 0, 1 or 2 molecules. Difference between the SERRS spectra of R6G excited by linearly and circularly polarized light were experimentally measured.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering reveals adsorption of mitoxantrone on plasma membrane of living cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breuzard, G.; Angiboust, J.-F.; Jeannesson, P.; Manfait, M.; Millot, J.-M.

2004-01-01

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy was applied to analyze mitoxantrone (MTX) adsorption on the plasma membrane microenvironment of sensitive (HCT-116 S) or BCRP/MXR-type resistant (HCT-116 R) cells. The addition of silver colloid to MTX-treated cells revealed an enhanced Raman scattering of MTX. Addition of extracellular DNA induced a total extinction of MTX Raman intensity for both cell lines, which revealed an adsorption of MTX on plasma membrane. A threefold higher MTX Raman intensity was observed for HCT-116 R, suggesting a tight MTX adsorption in the plasma membrane microenvironment. Fluorescence confocal microscopy confirmed a relative MTX emission around plasma membrane for HCT-116 R. After 30 min at 4 deg. C, a threefold decrease of the MTX Raman scattering was observed for HCT-116 R, contrary to HCT-116 S. Permeation with benzyl alcohol revealed a threefold decrease of membrane MTX adsorption on HCT-116 R, exclusively. This additional MTX adsorption should correspond to the drug bound to an unstable site on the HCT-116 R membrane. This study showed that SERS spectroscopy could be a direct method to reveal drug adsorption to the membrane environment of living cells

Possibility of 1-nm level localization of a single molecule with gap-mode surface-enhanced Raman scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Han Kyu; Kim, Zee Hwan

2015-01-01

The electromagnetic (EM) enhancement mechanism of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been well established through 30 years of extensive investigation: molecules adsorbed on resonantly driven silver or gold nanoparticles (NPs) experience strongly enhanced field and thus show enhanced Raman scattering. Even stronger SERS enhancement is possible with a gap structure in which two or more NPs form assemblies with gap sizes of 1 nm or less. We have theoretically shown that the measurement of SERS angular distribution can reveal the position of a single molecule near the gap with 1-nm accuracy, even though the spatial extent of the enhanced field is ~10 nm. Real implementation of such experiment requires extremely well-defined (preferably a single crystal) dimeric junctions. Nevertheless, the experiment will provide spatial as well as frequency domain information on single-molecule dynamics at metallic surfaces

Highly reproducible surface-enhanced Raman scattering-active Au nanostructures prepared by simple electrodeposition: origin of surface-enhanced Raman scattering activity and applications as electrochemical substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Suhee; Ahn, Miri; Kim, Jongwon

2013-05-24

The fabrication of effective surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates has been the subject of intensive research because of their useful applications. In this paper, dendritic gold (Au) rod (DAR) structures prepared by simple one-step electrodeposition in a short time were examined as an effective SERS-active substrate. The SERS activity of the DAR surfaces was compared to that of other nanostructured Au surfaces with different morphologies, and its dependence on the structural variation of DAR structures was examined. These comparisonal investigations revealed that highly faceted sharp edge sites present on the DAR surfaces play a critical role in inducing a high SERS activity. The SERS enhancement factor was estimated to be greater than 10(5), and the detection limit of rhodamine 6G at DAR surfaces was 10(-8)M. The DAR surfaces exhibit excellent spot-to-spot and substrate-to-substrate SERS enhancement reproducibility, and their long-term stability is very good. It was also demonstrated that the DAR surfaces can be effectively utilized in electrochemical SERS systems, wherein a reversible SERS behavior was obtained during the cycling to cathodic potential regions. Considering the straightforward preparation of DAR substrates and the clean nature of SERS-active Au surfaces prepared in the absence of additives, we expect that DAR surfaces can be used as cost-effective SERS substrates in analytical and electrochemical applications. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mathematical model for biomolecular quantification using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy based signal intensity distributions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Palla, Mirko; Bosco, Filippo Giacomo; Yang, Jaeyoung

2015-01-01

This paper presents the development of a novel statistical method for quantifying trace amounts of biomolecules by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) using a rigorous, single molecule (SM) theory based mathematical derivation. Our quantification framework could be generalized for planar...

Self-Assembled Nanocube-Based Plasmene Nanosheets as Soft Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Substrates toward Direct Quantitative Drug Identification on Surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Si, Kae Jye; Guo, Pengzhen; Shi, Qianqian; Cheng, Wenlong

2015-05-19

We report on self-assembled nanocube-based plasmene nanosheets as new surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates toward direct identification of a trace amount of drugs sitting on topologically complex real-world surfaces. The uniform nanocube arrays (superlattices) led to low spatial SERS signal variances (∼2%). Unlike conventional SERS substrates which are based on rigid nanostructured metals, our plasmene nanosheets are mechanically soft and optically semitransparent, enabling conformal attachment to real-world solid surfaces such as banknotes for direct SERS identification of drugs. Our plasmene nanosheets were able to detect benzocaine overdose down to a parts-per-billion (ppb) level with an excellent linear relationship (R(2) > 0.99) between characteristic peak intensity and concentration. On banknote surfaces, a detection limit of ∼0.9 × 10(-6) g/cm(2) benzocaine could be achieved. Furthermore, a few other drugs could also be identified, even in their binary mixtures with our plasmene nanosheets. Our experimental results clearly show that our plasmene sheets represent a new class of unique SERS substrates, potentially serving as a versatile platform for real-world forensic drug identification.

Multifunctional silver nanoparticle-doped silica for solid-phase extraction and surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection

Science.gov (United States)

Markina, Natalia E.; Markin, Alexey V.; Zakharevich, Andrey M.; Gorin, Dmitry A.; Rusanova, Tatiana Yu.; Goryacheva, Irina Yu.

2016-12-01

Multifunctional silica gel with embedded silver nanoparticles (SiO2-AgNP) is proposed for application as sorbent for solid-phase extraction (SPE) and simultaneously as substrate for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) due to their high sorption properties and ability to enhance Raman signal (SERS-active sorbents). SiO2-AgNP was synthesized via alkaline hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate with simultaneous reduction of silver ions to silver nanoparticles (AgNP) within the SiO2 bulk. Synthesis of AgNP directly to the SiO2 matrix enables to exclude any additional stabilizers for the nanoparticles that educes signal-to-noise ratio during SERS measurement. Apart from Raman spectroscopy, obtained sorbents were also characterized by scanning electron microscopy and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The influence of AgNO3 concentration used during the SiO2-AgNP synthesis on its gelling time, color, diffuse reflectance spectra, and enhancement of Raman signal was investigated. A Raman enhancement factor of SiO2-AgNP with optimal composition was around 105. Finally, the sorbents were applied for SPE and subsequent SERS detection of model compounds (rhodamine 6G and folic acid). It was found that SPE enables to decrease detectable concentrations by two orders. Therefore, SPE combined with SERS has high potential for further analytical investigations.

Multifunctional silver nanoparticle-doped silica for solid-phase extraction and surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Markina, Natalia E.; Markin, Alexey V., E-mail: av-markin@mail.ru; Zakharevich, Andrey M.; Gorin, Dmitry A.; Rusanova, Tatiana Yu.; Goryacheva, Irina Yu. [Saratov State University (Russian Federation)

2016-12-15

Multifunctional silica gel with embedded silver nanoparticles (SiO{sub 2}–AgNP) is proposed for application as sorbent for solid-phase extraction (SPE) and simultaneously as substrate for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) due to their high sorption properties and ability to enhance Raman signal (SERS-active sorbents). SiO{sub 2}–AgNP was synthesized via alkaline hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate with simultaneous reduction of silver ions to silver nanoparticles (AgNP) within the SiO{sub 2} bulk. Synthesis of AgNP directly to the SiO{sub 2} matrix enables to exclude any additional stabilizers for the nanoparticles that educes signal-to-noise ratio during SERS measurement. Apart from Raman spectroscopy, obtained sorbents were also characterized by scanning electron microscopy and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The influence of AgNO{sub 3} concentration used during the SiO{sub 2}–AgNP synthesis on its gelling time, color, diffuse reflectance spectra, and enhancement of Raman signal was investigated. A Raman enhancement factor of SiO{sub 2}–AgNP with optimal composition was around 10{sup 5}. Finally, the sorbents were applied for SPE and subsequent SERS detection of model compounds (rhodamine 6G and folic acid). It was found that SPE enables to decrease detectable concentrations by two orders. Therefore, SPE combined with SERS has high potential for further analytical investigations.

Raman scattering enhancement in photon-plasmon resonance mediated metal-dielectric microcavity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guddala, Sriram; Narayana Rao, D.; Dwivedi, Vindesh K.; Vijaya Prakash, G.

2013-01-01

Here, we report the photon-plasmon interaction scheme and enhanced field strengths resulted into the amplification of phonon in a novel microcavity. A metal-dielectric microcavity, with unified cavity photonic mode and localized surface plasmon resonances, is visualized by impregnating the gold nanoparticles into the deep see-through nano-sized pores of porous silicon microcavity. The intense optical field strengths resulting from the photon-plasmon interactions are probed by both resonant and non-resonant Raman scattering experiments. Due to photon-plasmon-phonon interaction mechanism, several orders of enhancement in the intensity of scattered Raman Stokes photon (at 500 cm −1 ) are observed. Our metal nanoparticle-microcavity hybrid system shows the potential to improve the sensing figure of merit as well as the applications of plasmonics for optoelectronics, photovoltaics, and related technologies

Gold Nanoparticles Sliding on Recyclable Nanohoodoos-Engineered for Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Kaiyu; Li, Tao; Schmidt, Michael Stenbæk

2018-01-01

Robust, macroscopically uniform, and highly sensitive substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) are fabricated using wafer-scale block copolymer lithography. The substrate consists of gold nanoparticles that can slide and aggregate on dense and recyclable alumina/silicon nanohoodo...... for obtaining cost-effective, high-quality, and reliable SERS spectra, facilitating a wide and simple use of SERS for both laboratorial and commercial applications...

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering of 4-aminobenzenethiol sandwiched between silver nanoparticles and gold micro-powders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Jeong Yong; Lee, Hyang Bong; Kim, Kwan; Shin Kuan Soo

2015-01-01

The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity of micrometer-sized gold (μAu) powders is far weaker than that of micrometer-sized silver (μAg) powders. The Raman peaks of organics assembled on μAu powders can, however, be enhanced dramatically by depositing Ag nanoparticles thereon to form the so-called sandwich structures. This is demonstrated in this work by using 4-aminobenzenthiol (4-ABT) as the prototype organic. Besides, the b_2-type bands of 4-ABT are found to be enhanced more than the a1-type band, and this is presumed to be a result of the favorable Ag-to-Au charge transfer configuration of the sandwich structure (Ag/4-ABT/μAu), associated with the chemical enhancement mechanism in SERS

Cavity-enhanced Raman spectroscopy with optical feedback cw diode lasers for gas phase analysis and spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Salter, Robert; Chu, Johnny; Hippler, Michael

2012-10-21

A variant of cavity-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (CERS) is introduced, in which diode laser radiation at 635 nm is coupled into an external linear optical cavity composed of two highly reflective mirrors. Using optical feedback stabilisation, build-up of circulating laser power by 3 orders of magnitude occurs. Strong Raman signals are collected in forward scattering geometry. Gas phase CERS spectra of H(2), air, CH(4) and benzene are recorded to demonstrate the potential for analytical applications and fundamental molecular studies. Noise equivalent limits of detection in the ppm by volume range (1 bar sample) can be achieved with excellent linearity with a 10 mW excitation laser, with sensitivity increasing with laser power and integration time. The apparatus can be operated with battery powered components and can thus be very compact and portable. Possible applications include safety monitoring of hydrogen gas levels, isotope tracer studies (e.g., (14)N/(15)N ratios), observing isotopomers of hydrogen (e.g., radioactive tritium), and simultaneous multi-component gas analysis. CERS has the potential to become a standard method for sensitive gas phase Raman spectroscopy.

Molecular selectivity of graphene-enhanced Raman scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Shengxi; Ling, Xi; Liang, Liangbo; Song, Yi; Fang, Wenjing; Zhang, Jin; Kong, Jing; Meunier, Vincent; Dresselhaus, Mildred S

2015-05-13

Graphene-enhanced Raman scattering (GERS) is a recently discovered Raman enhancement phenomenon that uses graphene as the substrate for Raman enhancement and can produce clean and reproducible Raman signals of molecules with increased signal intensity. Compared to conventional Raman enhancement techniques, such as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS), in which the Raman enhancement is essentially due to the electromagnetic mechanism, GERS mainly relies on a chemical mechanism and therefore shows unique molecular selectivity. In this paper, we report graphene-enhanced Raman scattering of a variety of different molecules with different molecular properties. We report a strong molecular selectivity for the GERS effect with enhancement factors varying by as much as 2 orders of magnitude for different molecules. Selection rules are discussed with reference to two main features of the molecule, namely its molecular energy levels and molecular structures. In particular, the enhancement factor involving molecular energy levels requires the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energies to be within a suitable range with respect to graphene's Fermi level, and this enhancement effect can be explained by the time-dependent perturbation theory of Raman scattering. The enhancement factor involving the choice of molecular structures indicates that molecular symmetry and substituents similar to that of the graphene structure are found to be favorable for GERS enhancement. The effectiveness of these factors can be explained by group theory and the charge-transfer interaction between molecules and graphene. Both factors, involving the molecular energy levels and structural symmetry of the molecules, suggest that a remarkable GERS enhancement requires strong molecule-graphene coupling and thus effective charge transfer between the molecules and graphene. These conclusions are further

Ion beam induced optical and surface modification in plasmonic nanostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, Udai B., E-mail: udaibhansingh123@gmail.com; Gautam, Subodh K.; Kumar, Sunil; Hooda, Sonu; Ojha, Sunil; Singh, Fouran

2016-07-15

In present work, ion irradiation induced nanostructuring has been exploited as an efficient and effective tool for synthesis of coupled plasmonics nanostructures by using 1.2 MeV Xe ions on Au/ZnO/Au system deposited on glass substrate. The results are correlated on the basis of their optical absorption, surface morphologies and enhanced sensitivity of evolved phonon modes by using UV Visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Raman spectroscopy (RS), respectively. Optical absorbance spectra of plasmonic nanostructures (NSs) show a decrease in band gap, which may be ascribed to the formation of defects with ion irradiation. The surface morphology reveals the formation of percolated NSs upon ion irradiation and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) study clearly shows the formation of multilayer system. Furthermore, RS measurements on samples are studied to understand the enhanced sensitivity of ion irradiation induced phonon mode at 573 cm{sup −1} along with other modes. As compared to pristine sample, a stronger and pronounced evolution of these phonon modes is observed with further ion irradiation, which indicates localized surface plasmon results with enhanced intensity of phonon modes of Zinc oxide (ZnO) material. Thus, such plasmonic NSs can be used as surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates.

Next generation in-situ optical Raman sensor for seawater investigations

Science.gov (United States)

Kolomijeca, A.; Kwon, Y.-H.; Ahmad, H.; Kronfeldt, H.-D.

2012-04-01

We introduce the next generation of optical sensors based on a combination of surfaced enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and shifted excitation Raman difference spectroscopy (SERDS) suited for investigations of tiny concentrations of pollutions in the seawater. First field measurements were carried out in the Arctic area which is of global interest since it is more affected by global warming caused climatic changes than any other areas of our planet and it is a recipient for many toxic organic pollutants. A significant long-range atmospheric transport of pollutants to Svalbard is mainly originated from industrialized countries in Europe and North America during the last decades. Therefore, the main interest is to investigate the Arctic water column and also the sediments. Standard chemical methods for water/sediment analysis are extremely accurate but complex and time-consuming. The primary objective of our study was to develop a fast response in-situ optical sensor for easy to use and quick analysis. The system comprises several components: a handheld measurement head containing a 671 nm microsystem diode laser and the Raman optical bench, a laser driver electronics board, a custom-designed miniature spectrometer with an optical resolution of 8 cm-1 and a netbook to control the spectrometer as well as for data evaluation. We introduced for the first time the portable Raman sensor system on an Artic sea-trial during a three week cruise on board of the James Clark Ross research vessel in August 2011. Numerous Raman and SERS measurements followed by SERDS evaluations were taken around locations 78° N and 9° E. Different SERS substrates developed for SERS measurements in sea-water were tested for their capability to detect different substances (PAHs) in the water down to very small (nmol/l) concentrations. Stability tests of the substrates were carried out also for the applicability of our system e.g. on a mooring. Details of the in-situ Raman sensor were presented

Chip-Scale Bioassays Based on Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering: Fundamentals and Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Hye-Young [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2005-01-01

This work explores the development and application of chip-scale bioassays based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for high throughput and high sensitivity analysis of biomolecules. The size effect of gold nanoparticles on the intensity of SERS is first presented. A sandwich immunoassay was performed using Raman-labeled immunogold nanoparticles with various sizes. The SERS responses were correlated to particle densities, which were obtained by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The response of individual particles was also investigated using Raman-microscope and an array of gold islands on a silicon substrate. The location and the size of individual particles were mapped using AFM. The next study describes a low-level detection of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 and simulants of biological warfare agents in a sandwich immunoassay format using SERS labels, which have been termed Extrinsic Raman labels (ERLs). A new ERL scheme based on a mixed monolayer is also introduced. The mixed monolayer ERLs were created by covering the gold nanoparticles with a mixture of two thiolates, one thiolate for covalently binding antibody to the particle and the other thiolate for producing a strong Raman signal. An assay platform based on mixed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold is then presented. The mixed SAMs were prepared from dithiobis(succinimidyl undecanoate) (DSU) to covalently bind antibodies on gold substrate and oligo(ethylene glycol)-terminated thiol to prevent nonspecific adsorption of antibodies. After the mixed SAMs surfaces, formed from various mole fraction of DSU were incubated with antibodies, AFM was used to image individual antibodies on the surface. The final study presents a collaborative work on the single molecule adsorption of YOYO-I labeled {lambda}-DNA at compositionally patterned SAMs using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. The role of solution pH, {lambda}-DNA concentration, and domain size was investigated. This work also revealed

Application of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for cleaning verification in pharmaceutical manufacture.

Science.gov (United States)

Corrigan, Damion K; Cauchi, Michael; Piletsky, Sergey; Mccrossen, Sean

2009-01-01

Cleaning verification is the process by which pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment is determined as sufficiently clean to allow manufacture to continue. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a very sensitive spectroscopic technique capable of detection at levels appropriate for cleaning verification. In this paper, commercially available Klarite SERS substrates were employed in order to obtain the necessary enhancement of signal for the identification of chemical species at concentrations of 1 to 10 ng/cm2, which are relevant to cleaning verification. The SERS approach was combined with principal component analysis in the identification of drug compounds recovered from a contaminated steel surface.

Silver-coated Si nanograss as highly sensitive surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tang, Jing; Kuo, Huei Pei; Hu, Min; Li, Zhiyong; Williams, R.S. [Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Information and Quantum Systems Laboratory, Palo Alto, CA (United States); Ou, Fung Suong [Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Information and Quantum Systems Laboratory, Palo Alto, CA (United States); Rice University, Department of Applied Physics, Houston, TX (United States); Stickle, William F. [Hewlett-Packard Company, Advanced Diagnostic Lab, Corvallis, OR (United States)

2009-09-15

We created novel surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates by metalization (Ag) of Si nanograss prepared by a Bosch process which involves deep reactive ion etching of single crystalline silicon. No template or lithography was needed for making the Si nanograss, thus providing a simple and inexpensive method to achieve highly sensitive large-area SERS substrates. The dependence of the SERS effect on the thickness of the metal deposition and on the surface morphology and topology of the substrate prior to metal deposition was studied in order to optimize the SERS signals. We observed that the Ag-coated Si nanograss can achieve uniform SERS enhancement over large area ({proportional_to}1 cm x 1 cm) with an average EF (enhancement factor) of 4.2 x 10{sup 8} for 4-mercaptophenol probe molecules. (orig.)

Selectivity/Specificity Improvement Strategies in Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feng Wang

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS is a powerful technique for the discrimination, identification, and potential quantification of certain compounds/organisms. However, its real application is challenging due to the multiple interference from the complicated detection matrix. Therefore, selective/specific detection is crucial for the real application of SERS technique. We summarize in this review five selective/specific detection techniques (chemical reaction, antibody, aptamer, molecularly imprinted polymers and microfluidics, which can be applied for the rapid and reliable selective/specific detection when coupled with SERS technique.

Nanogranular Au films deposited on carbon covered Si substrates for enhanced optical reflectivity and Raman scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhuvana, T; Kumar, G V Pavan; Narayana, Chandrabhas; Kulkarni, G U

2007-01-01

Electroless deposition of gold has been carried out on Si(100) surfaces precoated with laser ablated carbon layers of different thicknesses, and the resulting substrates have been characterized by a host of techniques. We first established the porous nature of the amorphous carbon layer by Raman and profilometric measurements. The Au uptake from the plating solution was optimal at a carbon layer thickness of 90 nm, where we observed nanogranules of ∼60-70 nm, well separated from each other in the carbon matrix (mean interparticle spacing ∼7 nm). We believe that the observed nanostructure is a result of Au 3+ electroless reduction on the Si surface through porous channels present in the amorphous carbon matrix. Importantly, this nanostructured substrate exhibited high reflectivity in the near IR region besides being effective as a substrate for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) measurements with enhancement factors up to 10 7

Efficient surface enhanced Raman scattering on confeito-like gold nanoparticle-adsorbed self-assembled monolayers.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Chia-Chi; Imae, Toyoko; Chen, Liang-Yih; Ujihara, Masaki

2015-12-28

Confeito-like gold nanoparticles (AuNPs; average diameter = 80 nm) exhibiting a plasmon absorption band at 590 nm were adsorbed through immersion-adsorption on two self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES-SAM) and polystyrene spheres coated with amine-terminated poly(amido amine) dendrimers (DEN/PS-SAM). The surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect on the SAM substrates was examined using the molecules of a probe dye, rhodamine 6G (R6G). The Raman scattering was strongly intensified on both substrates, but the enhancement factor (>10,000) of the AuNP/DEN/PS-SAM hierarchy substrate was 5-10 times higher than that of the AuNP/APTES-SAM substrate. This strong enhancement is attributed to the large surface area of the substrate and the presence of hot spots. Furthermore, analyzing the R6G concentration dependence of SERS suggested that the enhancement mechanism effectively excited the R6G molecules in the first layer on the hot spots and invoked the strong SERS effect. These results indicate that the SERS activity of confeito-like AuNPs on SAM substrates has high potential in molecular electronic devices and ultrasensitive analyses.

Quick detection of traditional Chinese medicine ‘Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma’ pieces by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Hao; Shi, Hong; Chen, Weiwei; Yu, Yun; Lin, Duo; Xu, Qian; Feng, Shangyuan; Lin, Juqiang; Chen, Rong

2013-01-01

A surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) method was developed for the analysis of traditional Chinese medicine ‘Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma’ pieces (AMRP) for the first time with the aim to develop a quick method for traditional Chinese medicine detection. Both Raman spectra and SERS spectra were obtained from AMRP, and tentative assignments of the Raman bands in the measured spectra suggested that only a few weak Raman peaks could be observed in the regular Raman spectra, while primary Raman peaks at around 536, 555, 619, 648, 691, 733, 790, 958, 1004, 1031, 1112, 1244, 1324, 1395, 1469, 1574 and 1632 cm −1 could be observed in the SERS spectra, with the strongest signals at 619, 733, 958, 1324, 1395 and 1469 cm −1 . This was due to a strong interaction between the silver colloids and the AMRP, which led to an extraordinary enhancement in the intensity of the Raman scattering in AMRP. This exploratory study suggests the SERS technique has great potential for providing a novel non-destructive method for effectively and accurately detecting traditional Chinese medicine without complicated separation and extraction. (paper)

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy with Au-nanoparticle substrate fabricated by using femtosecond pulse

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wending; Li, Cheng; Gao, Kun; Lu, Fanfan; Liu, Min; Li, Xin; Zhang, Lu; Mao, Dong; Gao, Feng; Huang, Ligang; Mei, Ting; Zhao, Jianlin

2018-05-01

Au-nanoparticle (Au-NP) substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) were fabricated by grid-like scanning a Au-film using a femtosecond pulse. The Au-NPs were directly deposited on the Au-film surface due to the scanning process. The experimentally obtained Au-NPs presented local surface plasmon resonance effect in the visible spectral range, as verified by finite difference time domain simulations and measured reflection spectrum. The SERS experiment using the Au-NP substrates exhibited high activity and excellent substrate reproducibility and stability, and a clearly present Raman spectra of target analytes, e.g. Rhodamine-6G, Rhodamine-B and Malachite green, with concentrations down to 10‑9 M. This work presents an effective approach to producing Au-NP SERS substrates with advantages in activity, reproducibility and stability, which could be used in a wide variety of practical applications for trace amount detection.

Review of Recent Progress of Plasmonic Materials and Nano-Structures for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alan X. Wang

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS has demonstrated single-molecule sensitivity and is becoming intensively investigated due to its significant potential in chemical and biomedical applications. SERS sensing is highly dependent on the substrate, where excitation of the localized surface plasmons (LSPs enhances the Raman scattering signals of proximate analyte molecules. This paper reviews research progress of SERS substrates based on both plasmonic materials and nano-photonic structures. We first discuss basic plasmonic materials, such as metallic nanoparticles and nano-rods prepared by conventional bottom-up chemical synthesis processes. Then, we review rationally-designed plasmonic nano-structures created by top-down approaches or fine-controlled synthesis with high-density hot-spots to provide large SERS enhancement factors (EFs. Finally, we discuss the research progress of hybrid SERS substrates through the integration of plasmonic nano-structures with other nano-photonic devices, such as photonic crystals, bio-enabled nanomaterials, guided-wave systems, micro-fluidics and graphene.

Effect of concentration and pH on the surface-enhanced Raman scattering of captopril on nano-colloidal silver surface

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Junxiang; Gu, Huaimin; Liu, Fangfang; Dong, Xiao; Xie, Min; Hu, Yongjun

2011-07-01

In this report, Raman and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of captopril are studied in detail. Herein, the Raman bands are assigned by the density functional theory (DFT) calculations and potential energy distributions (PED) based on internal coordinates of the molecule, which are found to be in good agree with the experimental values. Furthermore, the concentration and pH dependence of the SERS intensity of the molecule is discussed. By analyzing the intensities variation of SERS bands of the different concentrations of captopril solution, it can be concluded that the molecules orientation adsorbed on the silver nanoparticles surface change with the change of the concentrations. The variation of SERS spectra of captopril with the change of pH suggests that the interaction among the adsorbates with Ag cluster depend on the protonated state of the adsorbate and the aggregation of silver nanoparticles.

A practical method to fabricate gold substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Tantra, Ratna; Brown, Richard J C; Milton, Martin J T; Gohil, Dipak

2008-09-01

We describe a practical method of fabricating surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates based on dip-coating poly-L-lysine derivatized microscope slides in a gold colloidal suspension. The use of only commercially available starting materials in this preparation is particularly advantageous, aimed at both reducing time and the inconsistency associated with surface modification of substrates. The success of colloid deposition has been demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the corresponding SERS response (giving performance comparable to the corresponding traditional colloidal SERS substrates). Reproducibility was evaluated by conducting replicate measurements across six different locations on the substrate and assessing the extent of the variability (standard deviation values of spectral parameters: peak width and height), in response to either Rhodamine 6G or Isoniazid. Of particular interest is the observation of how some peaks in a given spectrum are more susceptible to data variability than others. For example, in a Rhodamine 6G SERS spectrum, spectral parameters of the peak at 775 cm(-1) were shown to have a relative standard deviation (RSD) % of or=10%. This observation is best explained by taking into account spectral variations that arise from the effect of a chemisorption process and the local nature of chemical enhancement mechanisms, which affects the enhancement of some spectral peaks but not others (analogous to resonant Raman phenomenon).

Tip enhancement

CERN Document Server

Kawata, Satoshi

2007-01-01

This book discusses the recent advances in the area of near-field Raman scattering, mainly focusing on tip-enhanced and surface-enhanced Raman scattering. Some of the key features covered here are the optical structuring and manipulations, single molecule sensitivity, analysis of single-walled carbon nanotubes, and analytic applications in chemistry, biology and material sciences. This book also discusses the plasmonic materials for better enhancement, and optical antennas. Further, near-field microscopy based on second harmonic generation is also discussed. Chapters have been written by some of the leading scientists in this field, who present some of their recent work in this field.·Near-field Raman scattering·Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy·Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy·Nano-photonics·Nanoanalysis of Physical, chemical and biological materials beyond the diffraction limits·Single molecule detection

Plasmonic nanopillar structures for surface-enhanced raman scattering applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rindzevicius, Tomas; Schmidt, Michael Stenbæk; Wu, Kaiyu

2016-01-01

have been utilized in surfaceenhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for biological and chemical sensing. We present Au nanopillar (NP) SERS structures that are excellent for molecular detection. The NP structures can be fabricated using a simple two-step process. We analyze NP optical properties...

Distinction of gastric cancer tissue based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Jun; Zhou, Hanjing; Gong, Longjing; Liu, Shu; Zhou, Zhenghua; Mao, Weizheng; Zheng, Rong-er

2012-12-01

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors with high recurrence rate and mortality rate in China. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic capability of Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based on gold colloids for distinguishing gastric tissues. Gold colloids were directly mixed with the supernatant of homogenized tissues to heighten the Raman signal of various biomolecule. A total of 56 samples were collected from normal (30) and cancer (26). Raman spectra were obtained with a 785nm excitation in the range of 600-1800 cm-1. Significant spectral differences in SERS mainly belong to nucleic acid, proteins and lipids, particularly in the range of 653, 726, 828, 963, 1004, 1032, 1088, 1130, 1243, 1369, 1474, 1596, 1723 cm-1. PCA-LDA algorithms with leave-one-patient-out cross validation yielded diagnostic sensitivities of 90% (27/30), specificities of 88.5% (23/26), and accuracy of 89.3% (50/56), for classification of normal and cancer tissues. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) surface is 0.917, illustrating the diagnostic utility of SERS together with PCA-LDA to identify gastric cancer from normal tissue. This work demonstrated the SERS techniques can be useful for gastric cancer detection, and it is also a potential technique for accurately identifying cancerous tumor, which is of considerable clinical importance to real-time diagnosis.

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy detection of biomolecules using EBL fabricated nanostructured substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, Robert F; Gutierrez-Rivera, Luis; Dew, Steven K; Stepanova, Maria

2015-03-20

Fabrication and characterization of conjugate nano-biological systems interfacing metallic nanostructures on solid supports with immobilized biomolecules is reported. The entire sequence of relevant experimental steps is described, involving the fabrication of nanostructured substrates using electron beam lithography, immobilization of biomolecules on the substrates, and their characterization utilizing surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Three different designs of nano-biological systems are employed, including protein A, glucose binding protein, and a dopamine binding DNA aptamer. In the latter two cases, the binding of respective ligands, D-glucose and dopamine, is also included. The three kinds of biomolecules are immobilized on nanostructured substrates by different methods, and the results of SERS imaging are reported. The capabilities of SERS to detect vibrational modes from surface-immobilized proteins, as well as to capture the protein-ligand and aptamer-ligand binding are demonstrated. The results also illustrate the influence of the surface nanostructure geometry, biomolecules immobilization strategy, Raman activity of the molecules and presence or absence of the ligand binding on the SERS spectra acquired.

Diameter Effect of Silver Nanorod Arrays to Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu, Geun Hoi; Kim, Min Young; Yoon, Hyeok Jin; Suh, Jung Sang

2014-01-01

The effect the diameter of silver nanorod arrays whose distance between the nanorods was uniform at 65 nm have on Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) has been studied by varying the diameter from 28 to 51 nm. Nanorod length was fixed at approximately 62 nm, which is the optimum length for SERS by excitation with a 632.8 nm laser line. The transverse and longitudinal modes of the surface plasmon of these silver nanorods were near 400 and 630 nm, respectively. The extinction of the longitudinal mode increased with increasing nanorod diameter, while the transverse mode did not change significantly. High-quality SERS spectra of p-aminothiophenol and benzenethiol adsorbed on the tips of the silver nanorods were observed by excitation with a 632.8 nm laser line. The SERS enhancement increased with increasing nanorod diameter. We concluded that the SERS enhancement increases when the diameter of silver nanorods is increased mainly by increasing the excitation efficiency of the longitudinal mode. The enhancement factor for the silver nanorods with a 51 nm diameter was approximately 2 Χ 10 7

Near field plasmonic gradient effects on high vacuum tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Yurui; Zhang, Zhenglong; Chen, Li; Sun, Mengtao

2015-01-14

Near field gradient effects in high vacuum tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (HV-TERS) are a recent developing ultra-sensitive optical and spectral analysis technology on the nanoscale, based on the plasmons and plasmonic gradient enhancement in the near field and under high vacuum. HV-TERS can not only be used to detect ultra-sensitive Raman spectra enhanced by surface plasmon, but also to detect clear molecular IR-active modes enhanced by strongly plasmonic gradient. Furthermore, the molecular overtone modes and combinational modes can also be experimentally measured, where the Fermi resonance and Darling-Dennison resonance were successfully observed in HV-TERS. Theoretical calculations using electromagnetic field theory firmly supported experimental observation. The intensity ratio of the plasmon gradient term over the linear plasmon term can reach values greater than 1. Theoretical calculations also revealed that with the increase in gap distance between tip and substrate, the decrease in the plasmon gradient was more significant than the decrease in plasmon intensity, which is the reason that the gradient Raman can be only observed in the near field. Recent experimental results of near field gradient effects on HV-TERS were summarized, following the section of the theoretical analysis.

Comparison of Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering Spectra of Two Kinds of Silver Nanoplate Films

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

TAO Jin-long; TANG Bin; XU Shu-ping; PAN Ling-yun; XU Wei-qing

2012-01-01

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering(SERS) spectra of different silver nanoplate self-assembled films at different excitation wavelengths were fairly compared.Shape conversion from silver nanoprisms to nanodisks on slides was in situ carried out.The SERS spectra of 4-mercaptopyridine(4-MPY) on these anisotropic silver nanoparticle self-assembled films present that strong enhancement appeared when the excitation line and the surface plasmon resonance(SPR) band of silver substrate overlapped.In this model,the influence of the crystal planes of silver nanoplates on SERS enhancement could be ignored because the basal planes were nearly unchanged in two kinds of silver nanoplate self-assembled films.

A surface enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopic study of UO{sub 2}{sup 2+} at trace concentration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Franzen, Carola [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V., Dresden (Germany). Surface Processes; Carstensen, Lale [Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany); Firkala, T. [Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, Freiberg (Germany); Steudtner, Robin [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V., Dresden (Germany). Inst. of Resource Ecology

2017-06-01

Techniques for rapid screening of uranium in environmental samples are needed. This study entails the development of Surface-Enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy for analyzing uranium(VI) in aqueous media with improved sensitivity.

Dimensional scale effects on surface enhanced Raman scattering efficiency of self-assembled silver nanoparticle clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fasolato, C.; Domenici, F.; De Angelis, L.; Luongo, F.; Postorino, P.; Sennato, S.; Mura, F.; Costantini, F.; Bordi, F.

2014-01-01

A study of the Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) from micrometric metallic nanoparticle aggregates is presented. The sample is obtained from the self-assembly on glass slides of micro-clusters of silver nanoparticles (60 and 100 nm diameter), functionalized with the organic molecule 4-aminothiophenol in water solution. For nanoparticle clusters at the micron scale, a maximum enhancement factor of 10 9 is estimated from the SERS over the Raman intensity ratio normalized to the single molecule contribution. Atomic force microscopy, correlated to spatially resolved Raman measurements, allows highlighting the connection between morphology and efficiency of the plasmonic system. The correlation between geometric features and SERS response of the metallic structures reveals a linear trend of the cluster maximum scattered intensity as a function of the surface area of the aggregate. On given clusters, the intensity turns out to be also influenced by the number of stacking planes of the aggregate, thus suggesting a plasmonic waveguide effect. The linear dependence results weakened for the largest area clusters, suggesting 30 μm 2 as the upper limit for exploiting the coherence over large scale of the plasmonic response.

The synthesis of four-layer gold-silver-polymer-silver core-shell nanomushroom with inbuilt Raman molecule for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Tao; Wang, Xiaolong; Zhou, Jun

2017-12-01

A facial two-step reduction method was proposed to synthesize four-layer gold-silver-polymer-silver (Au@Ag@PSPAA@Ag) core-shell nanomushrooms (NMs) with inbuilt Raman molecule. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) intensity of 4MBA adhered on the surface of Au core gradually increased with the modification of middle Ag shell and then Ag mushroom cap due to the formation of two kinds of ultra-small interior nanogap. Compared with the initial Au nanoparticles, the SERS enhancement ratio of the Au@Ag@PSPAA@Ag NMs approached to nearly 40. The novel core-shell NMs also exhibited homogeneous SERS signals for only one sample and reproducible signals for 10 different samples, certified by the low relative standard deviation values of less than 10% and 15% for the character peaks of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid, respectively. Such a novel four-layer core-shell nanostructure with reliable SERS performance has great potential application in quantitative SERS-based immunoassay.

Fabrication of a Au–polystyrene sphere substrate with three-dimensional nanofeatures for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Xiaotang; Xu, Zongwei; Li, Kang; Fang, Fengzhou; Wang, Liyang

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: Methods for fabricating three-dimensional nanofeature arrays for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates were explored by combining the self-assembly of nanoscale polystyrene (PS) spheres with subsequent Au film ion sputter coating modulation. The substrate's nanoscale hot-spot features were controlled using the Au coating film thickness regulation and focused ion beam (FIB) nano-patterning regulation methods. Scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy were employed to analyze the substrate morphology and the enhancement mechanism of the three-dimensional SERS substrate. PS microspheres with diameters of 151 nm and 360 nm were coated with Au layers of different thicknesses ranging from 10 nm to 270 nm. The configuration of the Au–PS spheres can be regulated to hexagonal close packing with nanoscale V-shaped slits with a 10 to 20 nm gap pattern. Nanoscale Au particles and clusters with a clear outline covered the surface of the PS spheres, in which the multiple-scale structures increase the specific surface area of the SERS-active substrate. Nanoscale cracks formed on the smaller Au–PS spheres with a diameter of 151 nm, which also exhibited strong SERS activity. The substrate surface temperature regularly increased after Au coating, and the thermal expansion coefficient difference and PS glass transition properties were studied to explain the Au–PS spheres nanofeature configuration development. The fabricated Au–PS spheres SERS feature is a type of three-dimensional and highly ordered array, which can show Raman scattering characteristics by providing a SERS enhancement factor of greater than 107. - Highlights: • Au film coating over PS nanospheres was studied to develop 3D SERS substrate. • The Au–PS sphere can be hexagonal close packing with 10–20 nm nanoscale gaps. • PS glass transition property results in Au–PS sphere nano configuration evolution. • The nanoscale Au clusters with clear outline were

Fabrication of a Au–polystyrene sphere substrate with three-dimensional nanofeatures for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Xiaotang; Xu, Zongwei, E-mail: zongweixu@163.com; Li, Kang; Fang, Fengzhou, E-mail: fzfang@tju.edu.cn; Wang, Liyang

2015-11-15

Graphical abstract: Methods for fabricating three-dimensional nanofeature arrays for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates were explored by combining the self-assembly of nanoscale polystyrene (PS) spheres with subsequent Au film ion sputter coating modulation. The substrate's nanoscale hot-spot features were controlled using the Au coating film thickness regulation and focused ion beam (FIB) nano-patterning regulation methods. Scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy were employed to analyze the substrate morphology and the enhancement mechanism of the three-dimensional SERS substrate. PS microspheres with diameters of 151 nm and 360 nm were coated with Au layers of different thicknesses ranging from 10 nm to 270 nm. The configuration of the Au–PS spheres can be regulated to hexagonal close packing with nanoscale V-shaped slits with a 10 to 20 nm gap pattern. Nanoscale Au particles and clusters with a clear outline covered the surface of the PS spheres, in which the multiple-scale structures increase the specific surface area of the SERS-active substrate. Nanoscale cracks formed on the smaller Au–PS spheres with a diameter of 151 nm, which also exhibited strong SERS activity. The substrate surface temperature regularly increased after Au coating, and the thermal expansion coefficient difference and PS glass transition properties were studied to explain the Au–PS spheres nanofeature configuration development. The fabricated Au–PS spheres SERS feature is a type of three-dimensional and highly ordered array, which can show Raman scattering characteristics by providing a SERS enhancement factor of greater than 107. - Highlights: • Au film coating over PS nanospheres was studied to develop 3D SERS substrate. • The Au–PS sphere can be hexagonal close packing with 10–20 nm nanoscale gaps. • PS glass transition property results in Au–PS sphere nano configuration evolution. • The nanoscale Au clusters with clear outline

Light depolarization induced by metallic tips in apertureless near-field optical microscopy and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gucciardi, P G [CNR-Istituto per i Processi Chimico-Fisici, sezione Messina, Salita Sperone, Contrada Papardo, I-98158 Faro Superiore, Messina (Italy); Lopes, M; Deturche, R; Julien, C; Barchiesi, D; Chapelle, M Lamy de la [Institut Charles Delaunay-CNRS FRE 2848, Laboratoire de Nanotechnologie et d' Instrumentation Optique, Universite de Technologie de Troyes, 12 rue Marie Curie, BP2060, 10010 Troyes (France)

2008-05-28

We have investigated the depolarization effects of light scattered by sharp tips used for apertureless near-field optical microscopy. Dielectric and metal coated tips have been investigated and depolarization factors between 5 and 30% have been measured, changing as a function of the incident light polarization and of the tip shape. The experimental results are in good agreement with theoretical calculations performed by the finite element method, giving a near-field depolarization factor close to 10%. The effect of depolarization has been investigated in polarized tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) experiments; the depolarization gives rise to forbidden Raman modes in Si crystals.

Direct visual evidence of end-on adsorption geometry of pyridine on silver surface investigated by surface enhanced Raman scattering and density functional theory calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhunia, Snehasis; Forster, Stefan; Vyas, Nidhi; Schmitt, Hans-Christian; Ojha, Animesh K

2015-12-05

Fourier transform Raman (FT-Raman) spectra of neat pyridine (Py) and surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of Py with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) solution at different molar concentrations (X=1.5M, 1.0M, 0.50 M, 0.25 M, and 0.125 M) were recorded using 1064 nm excitation wavelength. The intensity of Raman bands at ∼1003 (ν11) and ∼1035 (ν21) cm(-1) of Py is enhanced in the SERS spectra. Two new Raman bands were observed at ∼1009 (ν12) and ∼1038 (ν22) cm(-1) in the SERS spectra. These bands correspond to the ring breathing vibrations of Py molecules adsorbed at the AgNPs surface. The value of intensity ratios (I12/I11) and (I21/I22) is increased with dilution and attains a maximum value at X=0.5M and upon further dilution (0.25 and 0.125 M) it drops gradually. The theoretically calculated Raman spectra were found to be in good agreement with experimentally observed Raman spectra. Both, experimental and theoretical investigations have confirmed that the Py interacts with AgNPs via the end-on geometry. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In situ surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy effect in zeolite due to Ag_2Se quantum dots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez-Nuñez, C. E.; Cortez-Valadez, M.; Delgado-Beleño, Y.; Flores-López, N. S.; Román-Zamorano, J. F.; Flores-Valenzuela, J.; Flores-Acosta, M.

2017-01-01

This study shows the presence of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) effect caused by Ag_2Se quantum dots embedded in the zeolite matrix. The quantum dots that were synthesised and stabilised in the matrix of F9-NaX zeolite show a size of 5 nm and a quasi-spherical morphology. The calculated interplanar distances confirm the presence of quantum dots in cubic phase Im-m. We suppose that the in situ SERS effect in the material is caused by chemical-enhancement mechanism (CEM). The density functional theory (DFT) is undertaken to corroborate our hypothesis. The structure H_8Si_8Al_8O_1_2 represents the zeolite cavity unit, and small clusters of (Ag_2Se)_n represent the quantum dots. Both structures interact in the cavity to obtain the local minimum of the potential energy surface, leading to new molecular orbitals. After the analysis of the predicted Raman spectrum, the Raman bands increase significantly, agreeing with the experimental results at low wavenumbers in F9-NaX zeolite.

Refractive index sensing and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy using silver–gold layered bimetallic plasmonic crystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Somi Kang

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Herein we describe the fabrication and characterization of Ag and Au bimetallic plasmonic crystals as a system that exhibits improved capabilities for quantitative, bulk refractive index (RI sensing and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS as compared to monometallic plasmonic crystals of similar form. The sensing optics, which are bimetallic plasmonic crystals consisting of sequential nanoscale layers of Ag coated by Au, are chemically stable and useful for quantitative, multispectral, refractive index and spectroscopic chemical sensing. Compared to previously reported homometallic devices, the results presented herein illustrate improvements in performance that stem from the distinctive plasmonic features and strong localized electric fields produced by the Ag and Au layers, which are optimized in terms of metal thickness and geometric features. Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD simulations theoretically verify the nature of the multimode plasmonic resonances generated by the devices and allow for a better understanding of the enhancements in multispectral refractive index and SERS-based sensing. Taken together, these results demonstrate a robust and potentially useful new platform for chemical/spectroscopic sensing.

Application of Raman spectroscopy and surface-enhanced Raman scattering to the analysis of synthetic dyes found in ballpoint pen inks.

Science.gov (United States)

Geiman, Irina; Leona, Marco; Lombardi, John R

2009-07-01

The applicability of Raman spectroscopy and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) to the analysis of synthetic dyes commonly found in ballpoint inks was investigated in a comparative study. Spectra of 10 dyes were obtained using a dispersive system (633 nm, 785 nm lasers) and a Fourier transform system (1064 nm laser) under different analytical conditions (e.g., powdered pigments, solutions, thin layer chromatography [TLC] spots). While high fluorescence background and poor spectral quality often characterized the normal Raman spectra of the dyes studied, SERS was found to be generally helpful. Additionally, dye standards and a single ballpoint ink were developed on a TLC plate following a typical ink analysis procedure. SERS spectra were successfully collected directly from the TLC plate, thus demonstrating a possible forensic application for the technique.

Synthesis, characterization, and 3D-FDTD simulation of Ag@SiO2 nanoparticles for shell-isolated nanoparticle-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Uzayisenga, Viviane; Lin, Xiao-Dong; Li, Li-Mei; Anema, Jason R; Yang, Zhi-Lin; Huang, Yi-Fan; Lin, Hai-Xin; Li, Song-Bo; Li, Jian-Feng; Tian, Zhong-Qun

2012-06-19

Au-seed Ag-growth nanoparticles of controllable diameter (50-100 nm), and having an ultrathin SiO(2) shell of controllable thickness (2-3 nm), were prepared for shell-isolated nanoparticle-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SHINERS). Their morphological, optical, and material properties were characterized; and their potential for use as a versatile Raman signal amplifier was investigated experimentally using pyridine as a probe molecule and theoretically by the three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (3D-FDTD) method. We show that a SiO(2) shell as thin as 2 nm can be synthesized pinhole-free on the Ag surface of a nanoparticle, which then becomes the core. The dielectric SiO(2) shell serves to isolate the Raman-signal enhancing core and prevent it from interfering with the system under study. The SiO(2) shell also hinders oxidation of the Ag surface and nanoparticle aggregation. It significantly improves the stability and reproducibility of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signal intensity, which is essential for SERS applications. Our 3D-FDTD simulations show that Ag-core SHINERS nanoparticles yield at least 2 orders of magnitude greater enhancement than Au-core ones when excited with green light on a smooth Ag surface, and thus add to the versatility of our SHINERS method.

Surface enhanced Raman scattering in organic thin films covered with silver, indium and magnesium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salvan, Georgeta; Zahn, Dietrich R.T.; Paez, Beynor

2004-01-01

In situ resonant Raman spectroscopy was applied for the investigation of the interface formation between silver, indium and magnesium with polycrystalline organic semiconductor layers of 3,4,9,10-perylene tetra-carboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA). The spectral region of internal as well as external vibrational modes was recorded in order to achieve information related to the chemistry and the structure of the interface as well as to morphology of the metal layer. The experiments benefit from a strong enhancement of the internal mode scattering intensities which is induced by the rough morphology of deposited metals leading to surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The external modes, on the other hand, are attenuated at different rates indicating that the diffusion of the metal atoms into the crystalline layers is highest for indium and lowest for magnesium

Unveiling NIR Aza-Boron-Dipyrromethene (BODIPY) Dyes as Raman Probes: Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS)-Guided Selective Detection and Imaging of Human Cancer Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Adarsh, Nagappanpillai; Ramya, Adukkadan N; Maiti, Kaustabh Kumar; Ramaiah, Danaboyina

2017-10-12

The development of new Raman reporters has attracted immense attention in diagnostic research based on surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) techniques, which is a well established method for ultrasensitive detection through molecular fingerprinting and imaging. Herein, for the first time, we report the unique and efficient Raman active features of the selected aza-BODIPY dyes 1-6. These distinctive attributes could be extended at the molecular level to allow detection through SERS upon adsorption onto nano-roughened gold surface. Among the newly revealed Raman reporters, the amino substituted derivative 4 showed high signal intensity at very low concentrations (ca. 0.4 μm for 4-Au). Interestingly, an efficient nanoprobe has been constructed by using gold nanoparticles as SERS substrate, and 4 as the Raman reporter (4-Au@PEG), which unexpectedly showed efficient recognition of three human cancer cells (lung: A549, cervical: HeLa, Fibrosarcoma: HT-1080) without any specific surface marker. We observed well reflected and resolved Raman mapping and characteristic signature peaks whereas, such recognition was not observed in normal fibroblast (3T3L1) cells. To confirm these findings, a SERS nanoprobe was conjugated with a specific tumour targeting marker, EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor), a well known targeted agent for Human Fibrosarcoma (HT1080). This nanoprobe efficiently targeted the surface marker of HT1080 cells, threreby demonstrating its use as an ultrasensitive Raman probe for detection and targeted imaging, leaving normal cells unaffected. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Detection and aggregation of the antitumoral drug parietin in ethanol/water mixture and on plasmonic metal nanoparticles studied by surface-enhanced optical spectroscopy: Effect of pH and ethanol concentration

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez-Tobar, Eduardo; Verebova, Valeria; Blascakova, Ludmila; Jancura, Daniel; Fabriciova, Gabriela; Sanchez-Cortes, Santiago

2016-04-01

In the present paper, we have investigated the effect of ethanol in aqueous media, the pH and the presence of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) on the aggregation processes of the antitumoral anthraquinone parietin in aqueous media and on the metal surface. UV-visible absorption, fluorescence and Raman spectra of parietin were used for such purpose. The present study provides information about the deprotonation and molecular aggregation processes occurring in parietin under different environments: ethanol/water mixture and when adsorbed onto Ag nanoparticles. The effect of ethanol on the optical properties of parietin in alcohol-water mixtures was also investigated at different ethanol concentrations with the time. For the case of the adsorption and organization of parietin molecules on the surface of Ag NPs, special attention was paid to the use of surface-enhanced optical techniques, SEF (surface-enhanced fluorescence) and SERS (surface-enhanced Raman scattering), for the characterization of the parietin aggregates and the ionization of the molecule on the surface. In particular, we have studied the variation of the SEF signal with the pH, which depends on the molecular organization of the molecule on the surface. Furthermore, a detailed analysis of the SERS spectra at different pH was accomplished and the main Raman bands of the protonated, mono-deprotonated and di-deprotonated parietin were identified. Finally, the second ionization pK of parietin on metal NPs was deduced from the SERS spectra.

Detection of mast cell secretion by using surface enhanced Raman scattering

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Juan; Li, Ren; Zheng, Liqin; Wang, Yuhua; Xie, Shusen; Lin, Juqiang

2016-10-01

Acupuncture can cause a remarkable increase in degranulation of the mast cells, which has attracted the interest of researchers since the 1980s. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) could obtain biochemical information with high sensitivity and specificity. In this study, SERS was used to detect the degree of degranulation of mast cells according to different incubate time. Mast cells was incubated with culture medium for 0 h, 12 h and 24 h, then centrifuge the culture medium, decant the supernatant, and discard the mast cell. SERS was performed to obtain the biochemical fingerprinting signatures of the centrifuged medium. The spectra data are then analyzed by spectral peaks attribution and the principal component analysis (PCA). The measured Raman spectra of the two groups were separated well by PCA. It indicated that mast cells had secreted some substances into cultured medium though degranulation did not happen.

Fiber-optic Raman spectroscopy for in vivo diagnosis of gastric dysplasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jianfeng; Lin, Kan; Zheng, Wei; Ho, Khek Yu; Teh, Ming; Yeoh, Khay Guan; Huang, Zhiwei

2016-06-23

This study aims to assess the clinical utility of a rapid fiber-optic Raman spectroscopy technique developed for enhancing in vivo diagnosis of gastric precancer during endoscopic examination. We have developed a real-time fiber-optic Raman spectroscopy system capable of simultaneously acquiring both fingerprint (FP) (i.e., 800-1800 cm(-1)) and high-wavenumber (HW) (i.e., 2800-3600 cm(-1)) Raman spectra from gastric tissue in vivo at endoscopy. A total of 5792 high-quality in vivo FP/HW Raman spectra (normal (n = 5160); dysplasia (n = 155), and adenocarcinoma (n = 477)) were acquired in real-time from 441 tissue sites (normal (n = 396); dysplasia (n = 11), and adenocarcinoma (n = 34)) of 191 gastric patients (normal (n = 172); dysplasia (n = 6), and adenocarcinoma (n = 13)) undergoing routine endoscopic examinations. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) together with leave-one-patient-out cross validation (LOPCV) were implemented to develop robust spectral diagnostic models. The FP/HW Raman spectra differ significantly between normal, dysplasia and adenocarcinoma of the stomach, which can be attributed to changes in proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and the bound water content. PLS-DA and LOPCV show that the fiber-optic FP/HW Raman spectroscopy provides diagnostic sensitivities of 96.0%, 81.8% and 88.2%, and specificities of 86.7%, 95.3% and 95.6%, respectively, for the classification of normal, dysplastic and cancerous gastric tissue, superior to either the FP or HW Raman techniques alone. Further dichotomous PLS-DA analysis yields a sensitivity of 90.9% (10/11) and specificity of 95.9% (380/396) for the detection of gastric dysplasia using FP/HW Raman spectroscopy, substantiating its clinical advantages over white light reflectance endoscopy (sensitivity: 90.9% (10/11), and specificity: 51.0% (202/396)). This work demonstrates that the fiber-optic FP/HW Raman spectroscopy technique has great promise for enhancing in vivo diagnosis of gastric

In situ identification of paper chromatogram spots by surface enhanced Raman scattering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tran, C D

1984-01-01

The use of silver hydrosols to enhance the Raman scattering of paper chromatogram spots has been used successfully. This enhancement technique, which is dependent on the interaction between the substrate, silver particles, and paper fibers, has been applied to detection and identification of ng amounts of crystal violet, malachite green, and basic fuchsin with an argon laser of only 4 mW. This technique enhances the resonance of the Raman scattering so that the Raman cross sections of the spots are approximately 9 to 10 orders of magnitude higher than those observed for non-enhanced systems. The limit of detection of the techniques is defined as the amount of dye spot that yields a signal to noise ratio of 2 when excited with the 4MeV.

Piperidine adsorption on two different silver electrodes: A combined surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hao Yanling; Fang Yan

2007-01-01

The surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of piperidine in silver colloid solution, on roughened silver electrode and on roughened silver electrode modified with silver nanoparticles were studied, and the high-quality SERS spectra of piperidine on roughened silver electrode modified with silver nanoparticles were obtained for the first time. Surface selection rules derived from the EM enhancement model were employed to deduce piperidine orientations on the different surfaces. On the basis of this, two models of piperidine adsorbed on the surface of the silver nanoparticles were built, and DFT-B3PW91/LanL2dz was applied to calculate the Raman frequencies. It proves that, at higher potential values, the piperidine is perpendicularly standing on the roughened silver electrode surface though its lone-electron pair, but in silver colloid solution and on the silver nanoparticles modified silver electrode the piperidine molecular lies flat on the silver surface. In the meantime, the potential dependent SERS of piperidine on the modified electrode were studied

Surface enhanced raman scattering on tardigrada - Towards monitoring and imaging molecular structures in live cryptobiotic organisms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kneipp, Harald; Møbjerg, Nadja; Jørgensen, Aslak

2013-01-01

Tardigrades are microscopic metazoans which are able to survive extreme physical and chemical conditions by entering a stress tolerant state called cryptobiosis. At present, the molecular mechanisms behind cryptobiosis are still poorly understood. We show that surface enhanced Raman scattering su...

Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Activity of Ag/graphene/polymer Nanocomposite Films Synthesized by Laser Ablation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Siljanovska Petreska, G.; Blazevska-Gilev, J.; Fajgar, Radek; Tomovska, R.

2014-01-01

Roč. 564, AUG 1 (2014), s. 115-120 ISSN 0040-6090 Grant - others:NATO SfP(US) 984399 Institutional support: RVO:67985858 Keywords : laser ablation * surface-enhanced raman scattering * nanocomposite s * graphene * rhodamine 6G Subject RIV: CH - Nuclear ; Quantum Chemistry Impact factor: 1.759, year: 2014

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering in art and archaeology

Science.gov (United States)

Leona, Marco

2005-11-01

The identification of natural dyes found in archaeological objects and in works of art as textile dyes and lake pigments is a demanding analytical task. To address the problems raised by the very low dye content of dyed fibers and lake pigments, and by the requirement to remove only microscopic samples, surface enhanced Raman scattering techniques were investigated for application to museum objects. SERS gives excellent results with the majority of natural dyes, including: alizarin, purpurin, laccaic acid, carminic acid, kermesic acid, shikonin, juglone, lawsone, brazilin and brazilein, haematoxylin and haematein, fisetin, quercitrin, quercetin, rutin, and morin. In this study, limits of detection were determined for representative dyes and different SERS supports such as citrate reduced Ag colloid and silver nanoisland films. SERS was successfully used to identify natural madder in a microscopic fragment from a severely degraded 11th Century Byzantine textile recently excavated in Amorium, Turkey.

Synthesis of gold nanostars with fractal structure: application in surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Jian; Liu, Mei-Jin; Li, Jian-Jun; Zhao, Jun-Wu

2017-11-01

Multi-branched gold nanostars with fractal feature were synthesized using the Triton X-100 participant seed-growth method. By increasing the amount of ascorbic acid, the branch length of gold nanostars could be greatly increased. It has been interesting to find that the secondary growth of new branches takes place from the elementary structure when the aspect ratio of the branches is greater than 8.0 and the corresponding plasmon absorption wavelength is greater than 900 nm. Raman activity of the gold nanostar films has been investigated by using the 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) as Raman active probe. Experimental results show that the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) ability of the gold nanostars could be efficiently improved when the fractal structure appears. The physical mechanism has been attributed to the intense increased secondary branch number and the increased "hot spots". These unique multi-branched gold nanostars with fractal feature and great SERS activity should have great potential in sensing applications.

Gold split-ring resonators (SRRs) as substrates for surface-enhanced raman scattering

KAUST Repository

Yue, Weisheng

2013-10-24

We used gold split ring resonators (SRRs) as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The arrays of SRRs were fabricated by electron-beam lithography in combination with plasma etching. In the detection of rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules, SERS enhancement factors of the order of 105 was achieved. This SERS enhancement increased as the size of the split gap decrease as a consequence of the matching between the resonance wavelength of the SRRs and the excitation wavelength of SERS. As the size of the split gap decreased, the localized surface plasmon resonance shifted to near the excitation wavelength and, thus, resulted in the increase in the electric field on the nanostructures. We used finite integration method (FIT) to simulate numerically the electromagnetic properties of the SRRs. The results of the simulation agreed well with our experimental observations. We anticipate this work will provide an approach to manipulate the SERS enhancement by modulating the size of split gap with SRRs without affecting the area and structural arrangement. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Gold split-ring resonators (SRRs) as substrates for surface-enhanced raman scattering

KAUST Repository

Yue, Weisheng; Yang, Yang; Wang, Zhihong; Chen, Longqing; Wang, Xianbin

2013-01-01

We used gold split ring resonators (SRRs) as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The arrays of SRRs were fabricated by electron-beam lithography in combination with plasma etching. In the detection of rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules, SERS enhancement factors of the order of 105 was achieved. This SERS enhancement increased as the size of the split gap decrease as a consequence of the matching between the resonance wavelength of the SRRs and the excitation wavelength of SERS. As the size of the split gap decreased, the localized surface plasmon resonance shifted to near the excitation wavelength and, thus, resulted in the increase in the electric field on the nanostructures. We used finite integration method (FIT) to simulate numerically the electromagnetic properties of the SRRs. The results of the simulation agreed well with our experimental observations. We anticipate this work will provide an approach to manipulate the SERS enhancement by modulating the size of split gap with SRRs without affecting the area and structural arrangement. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

High-performance flexible surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates fabricated by depositing Ag nanoislands on the dragonfly wing

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yuhong; Wang, Mingli; Shen, Lin; Sun, Xin; Shi, Guochao; Ma, Wanli; Yan, Xiaoya

2018-04-01

Natural dragonfly wing (DW), as a template, was deposited on noble metal sliver (Ag) nanoislands by magnetron sputtering to fabricate a flexible, low-cost, large-scale and environment-friendly surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate (Ag/DW substrate). Generally, materials with regular surface nanostructures are chosen for the templates, the selection of our new material with irregular surface nanostructures for substrates provides a new idea for the preparation of high-performance SERS-active substrates and many biomimetic materials. The optimum sputtering time of metal Ag was also investigated at which the prepared SERS-active substrates revealed remarkable SERS activities to 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) and crystal violet (CV). Even more surprisingly, the Ag/DW substrate with such an irregular template had reached the enhancement factor (EF) of ∼1.05 × 105 and the detection limit of 10-10 M to 4-ATP. The 3D finite-different time-domain (3D-FDTD) simulation illustrated that the "hot spots" between neighbouring Ag nanoislands at the top of pillars played a most important role in generating electromagnetic (EM) enhancement and strengthening Raman signals.

Pulsed laser deposition of Ag nanoparticles on titanium hydroxide/oxide nanobelt arrays for highly sensitive surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jing, Yuting; Wang, Huanwen; Zhao, Jie; Yi, Huan; Wang, Xuefeng

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Silver nanoparticles (NPs) were deposited on Ti(OH) 4 nanobelt by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). • The highest enhancement factor of 10 6 and a maximum relative standard deviation (RSD) of 0.18. • Ag 2 O play important role for the high sensitivity Raman phenomenon. • Charge transfer from Ag NPs is also responsible for the enhancement ability. - Abstract: Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate of Ti(OH) 4 nanobelt arrays (NBAs) was synthesized by a hydrothermal reaction, on which silver nanoparticles (NPs) were deposited by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the effective high specific surface area with silver NPs decorated on three-dimensional NBAs. Using rhodamine 6G (R6G) as an analyte molecule, the highest enhancement factor of 10 6 and a maximum relative standard deviation (RSD) of 0.18 were obtained. It has been found that the specific morphology of these composite nanobelt arrays and the formation of Ag 2 O play important role for the high sensitivity Raman phenomenon. In addition, the surface plasmon resonance wavelength of Ag decorated Ti(OH) 4 NBAs and the charge transfer from Ag NPs are also responsible for the enhancement ability. For comparison SERS was investigated with silver particles decorated on TiO 2 NBAs, which is much less active

Synthesis of Au Nanostars and Their Application as Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering-Activity Tags Inside Living Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Xiaowei; Shi, Chaowen; Lu, Wenbo; Zhao, Hang; Wang, Man; Tong, Wei; Dong, Jian; Han, Xiaodong; Qian, Weiping

2015-07-01

This work presents the synthesis and characterization of Au nanostars (AuNSs) and demonstrates their application as surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-activity tags for cellular imaging and sensing. Nile blue A (NBA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were used as Raman reporter molecules and capping materials, respectively. The SERS-activity tags were tested on human lung adenocarcinoma cell (A549) and alveolar type II cell (AT II) and found to present a low level of cytotoxicity and high chemical stability. These SERS-activity tags not only can be applied in multiplexed cellular imaging, including dark field imaging, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and SERS imaging, but also can be used for cellular sensing. The SERS spectra clearly identified cellular important components such as proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and carbohydrates. This study also shows that endocytosis is the main channel of tags internalized in cells. The AuNSs exhibiting strong surface enhanced Raman effects are utilized in the design of an efficient, stable SERS-activity tag for intracellular applications.

In situ surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy effect in zeolite due to Ag{sub 2}Se quantum dots

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martinez-Nuñez, C. E. [Universidad de Sonora, Departamento de Investigación en Física (Mexico); Cortez-Valadez, M., E-mail: jose.cortez@unison.mx, E-mail: manuelcortez@live.com [Universidad de Sonora, CONACYT-Departamento de Investigación en Física (Mexico); Delgado-Beleño, Y.; Flores-López, N. S. [Universidad de Sonora, Departamento de Investigación en Física (Mexico); Román-Zamorano, J. F. [Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico en Electroquímica (Mexico); Flores-Valenzuela, J. [Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa (Mexico); Flores-Acosta, M. [Universidad de Sonora, Departamento de Investigación en Física (Mexico)

2017-02-15

This study shows the presence of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) effect caused by Ag{sub 2}Se quantum dots embedded in the zeolite matrix. The quantum dots that were synthesised and stabilised in the matrix of F9-NaX zeolite show a size of 5 nm and a quasi-spherical morphology. The calculated interplanar distances confirm the presence of quantum dots in cubic phase Im-m. We suppose that the in situ SERS effect in the material is caused by chemical-enhancement mechanism (CEM). The density functional theory (DFT) is undertaken to corroborate our hypothesis. The structure H{sub 8}Si{sub 8}Al{sub 8}O{sub 12} represents the zeolite cavity unit, and small clusters of (Ag{sub 2}Se){sub n} represent the quantum dots. Both structures interact in the cavity to obtain the local minimum of the potential energy surface, leading to new molecular orbitals. After the analysis of the predicted Raman spectrum, the Raman bands increase significantly, agreeing with the experimental results at low wavenumbers in F9-NaX zeolite.

Applicability of surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering for the direct discrimination of ballpoint pen inks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Seifar, R.M.; Verheul, J.M.; Ariese, F.; Brinkman, U.A.T.; Gooijer, C.

2001-01-01

In situ surface-enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy (SERRS) with excitation at 685 nm is suitable for the direct discrimination of blue and black ballpoint pen inks on paper. For black inks, shorter excitation wavelengths can also be used. For blue inks, SERRS at 514.5 and 457.9 nm does not

Multi-metal, Multi-wavelength Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Detection of Neurotransmitters.

Science.gov (United States)

Moody, Amber S; Sharma, Bhavya

2018-04-05

The development of a sensor for the rapid and sensitive detection of neurotransmitters could provide a pathway for the diagnosis of neurological diseases, leading to the discovery of more effective treatment methods. We investigate the use of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based sensors for the rapid detection of melatonin, serotonin, glutamate, dopamine, GABA, norepinephrine, and epinephrine. Previous studies have demonstrated SERS detection of neurotransmitters; however, there has been no comprehensive study on the effect of the metal used as the SERS substrate or the excitation wavelength used for detection. Here, we present the detection of 7 neurotransmitters using both silver and gold nanoparticles at excitation wavelengths of 532, 633, and 785 nm. Over the range of wavelengths investigated, the SERS enhancement on the silver and gold nanoparticles varies, with an average enhancement factor of 10 5 -10 6 . The maximum SERS enhancement occurs at an excitation wavelength of 785 nm for the gold nanoparticles and at 633 nm for the silver nanoparticles.

Methods and systems for Raman and optical cross-interrogation in flow-through silicon membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, Tiziana C.; Letant, Sonia E.

2014-09-09

Cross-interrogating photonic detection systems and methods are shown. A flow through photonic crystal membrane with a surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate is provided with pores which are distributed along multiple regions. The pores of one region have walls to which a first type of target specific anchor can be attached, while pores of another region have walls to which a second type of target specific anchor can be attached. An optical arrangement out-of-plane to the SERS substrate is also provided for enhanced sensitivity and identification of target organisms.

Micro-raman and tip-enhanced raman spectroscopy of carbon allotropes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoffmann, G.G.; With, de G.; Loos, J.

2008-01-01

Raman spectroscopic data are obtained on various carbon allotropes like diamond, amorphous carbon, graphite, graphene and single wall carbon nanotubes by micro-Raman spectroscopy, tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy imaging, and the potentials of these techniques for

Raman spectroscopy of optical properties in CdS thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trajić J.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Properties of CdS thin films were investigated applying atomic force microscopy (AFM and Raman spectroscopy. CdS thin films were prepared by using thermal evaporation technique under base pressure 2 x 10-5 torr. The quality of these films was investigated by AFM spectroscopy. We apply Raman scattering to investigate optical properties of CdS thin films, and reveal existence of surface optical phonon (SOP mode at 297 cm-1. Effective permittivity of mixture were modeled by Maxwell - Garnet approximation. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 45003

Sensitive and simple determination of zwitterionic morphine in human urine based on liquid-liquid micro-extraction coupled with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Borong; Cao, Chentai; Li, Pan; Mao, Mei; Xie, Qiwen; Yang, Liangbao

2018-08-15

Morphine, a kind of illicit drugs, is also one of the main heroin metabolites. In consideration of a noninvasive way to monitor and identify drug abuse during forensic cases, the urine samples are usually detected. Here, colloidal gold nanorods (Au NRs) were introduced to act as active substrate, because of the strong optical extinction and spectral tunability of the longitudinal surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Thus, well surface-enhanced Raman spectra of morphine even at low concentrations could be obtained by portable Raman spectrometer. For the complex matrix environment of urine, liquid-liquid micro-extraction (LLME), a simple and inexpensive pretreatment, was employed to avoid the interferences. And then, the coupled surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) can give full play to the advantages of high sensitivity and unique spectroscopic fingerprint. According to the zwitterionic structure and physicochemical parameters of morphine molecules, the pH value of urine sample was adjusted to about 9 by buffer solution (KOH/NaB 4 O 7 ) and the mixture of chloroform and isopropyl alcohol (V/V=9:1) was chosen as extractant. Moreover, such pretreatment was proved to be appropriate for separation and concentration of morphine from urine. The developed LLME-SERS method could provide a detection limit less than 1 ppm in the human urine environment and the whole process of detection just needed take 5-6 min. What's more, the results of urine samples from heroin users exhibited application value of the proposed technique. The excellent performance makes it promising to become a rapid, reliable, and on-spot analyzer, especially for public safety and healthcare. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The theory of surface-enhanced Raman scattering on semiconductor nanoparticles; toward the optimization of SERS sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Lombardi, John R

2017-12-04

We present an expression for the lowest order nonzero contribution to the surface-enhanced Raman spectrum obtained from a system of a molecule adsorbed on a semiconductor nanoparticle. Herzberg-Teller vibronic coupling of the zero-order Born-Oppenheimer states results in an expression which may be regarded as an extension of the Albrecht A-, B-, and C-terms to SERS substrates. We show that the SERS enhancement is caused by combinations of several types of resonances in the combined system, namely, surface, exciton, charge-transfer, and molecular resonances. These resonances are coupled by terms in the numerator, which provide selection rules that enable various tests of the theory and predict the relative intensities of the Raman lines. Furthermore, by considering interactions of the various contributions to the SERS enhancement, we are able to develop ways to optimize the enhancement factor by tailoring the semiconductor nanostructure, thereby adjusting the locations of the various contributing resonances. This provides a procedure by which molecular sensors can be constructed and optimized. We provide several experimental examples on substrates such as monolayer MoS 2 and GaN nanorods.

Metal oxide nanoparticle mediated enhanced Raman scattering and its use in direct monitoring of interfacial chemical reactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Li; Hutter, Tanya; Finnemore, Alexander S; Huang, Fu Min; Baumberg, Jeremy J; Elliott, Stephen R; Steiner, Ullrich; Mahajan, Sumeet

2012-08-08

Metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) have widespread usage across many disciplines, but monitoring molecular processes at their surfaces in situ has not been possible. Here we demonstrate that MONPs give highly enhanced (×10(4)) Raman scattering signals from molecules at the interface permitting direct monitoring of their reactions, when placed on top of flat metallic surfaces. Experiments with different metal oxide materials and molecules indicate that the enhancement is generic and operates at the single nanoparticle level. Simulations confirm that the amplification is principally electromagnetic and is a result of optical modulation of the underlying plasmonic metallic surface by MONPs, which act as scattering antennae and couple light into the confined region sandwiched by the underlying surface. Because of additional functionalities of metal oxides as magnetic, photoelectrochemical and catalytic materials, enhanced Raman scattering mediated by MONPs opens up significant opportunities in fundamental science, allowing direct tracking and understanding of application-specific transformations at such interfaces. We show a first example by monitoring the MONP-assisted photocatalytic decomposition reaction of an organic dye by individual nanoparticles.

Label-Free Detection of Glycan-Protein Interactions for Array Development by Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Li, Xiuru; Martin, Sharon J H; Chinoy, Zoeisha S; Liu, Lin; Rittgers, Brandon; Dluhy, Richard A; Boons, Geert-Jan

2016-01-01

A glyco-array platform has been developed, in which glycans are attached to plasmonic nanoparticles through strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition. Glycan-protein binding events can then be detected in a label-free manner employing surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). As proof of concept,

Rapid surface enhanced Raman scattering detection method for chloramphenicol residues

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Wei; Yao, Weirong

2015-06-01

Chloramphenicol (CAP) is a widely used amide alcohol antibiotics, which has been banned from using in food producing animals in many countries. In this study, surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) coupled with gold colloidal nanoparticles was used for the rapid analysis of CAP. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were conducted with Gaussian 03 at the B3LYP level using the 3-21G(d) and 6-31G(d) basis sets to analyze the assignment of vibrations. Affirmatively, the theoretical Raman spectrum of CAP was in complete agreement with the experimental spectrum. They both exhibited three strong peaks characteristic of CAP at 1104 cm-1, 1344 cm-1, 1596 cm-1, which were used for rapid qualitative analysis of CAP residues in food samples. The use of SERS as a method for the measurements of CAP was explored by comparing use of different solvents, gold colloidal nanoparticles concentration and absorption time. The method of the detection limit was determined as 0.1 μg/mL using optimum conditions. The Raman peak at 1344 cm-1 was used as the index for quantitative analysis of CAP in food samples, with a linear correlation of R2 = 0.9802. Quantitative analysis of CAP residues in foods revealed that the SERS technique with gold colloidal nanoparticles was sensitive and of a good stability and linear correlation, and suited for rapid analysis of CAP residue in a variety of food samples.

Highly active surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates based on gold nanoparticles infiltrated into SiO{sub 2} inverse opals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ankudze, Bright; Philip, Anish [Department of Chemistry, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, F1-80101, Joensuu (Finland); Pakkanen, Tuula T., E-mail: Tuula.Pakkanen@uef.fi [Department of Chemistry, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, F1-80101, Joensuu (Finland); Matikainen, Antti; Vahimaa, Pasi [Institute of Photonics, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, F1-80101, Joensuu (Finland)

2016-11-30

Highlights: • SERS substrates prepared by infiltration of nanoparticles into SiO{sub 2} inverse opal. • The SERS substrate gives an enhancement factor of 10{sup 7} for 4-aminothiophenol. • The sensitivity of the substrate is mainly attributed to gold nanoparticle clusters. - Abstract: SiO{sub 2} inverse opal (IO) films with embedded gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) application are reported. SiO{sub 2} IO films were loaded with AuNPs by a simple infiltration in a single cycle to form Au-SiO{sub 2} IOs. The optical property and the morphology of the Au-SiO{sub 2} IO substrates were characterized; it was observed that they retained the Bragg diffraction of SiO{sub 2} IO and the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of AuNPs. The SERS property of the Au-SiO{sub 2} IO substrates were studied with methylene blue (MB) and 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP). The SERS enhancement factors were 10{sup 7} and 10{sup 6} for 4-ATP and MB, respectively. A low detection limit of 10{sup −10} M for 4-ATP was also obtained with the Au-SiO{sub 2} IO substrate. A relative standard deviation of 18.5% for the Raman signals intensity at 1077 cm{sup −1} for 4-ATP shows that the Au-SiO{sub 2} IO substrates have good signal reproducibility. The results of this study indicate that the Au-SiO{sub 2} IO substrates can be used in sensing and SERS applications.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering active gold nanostructure fabricated by photochemical reaction of synchrotron radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamaguchi, Akinobu, E-mail: yamaguti@lasti.u-hyogo.ac.jp [Laboratory of Advance Science and Technology for Industry, University of Hyogo, 3-1-2 Koto, Kamigori, Ako, Hyogo 678-1205 (Japan); Matsumoto, Takeshi [Laboratory of Advance Science and Technology for Industry, University of Hyogo, 3-1-2 Koto, Kamigori, Ako, Hyogo 678-1205 (Japan); Okada, Ikuo; Sakurai, Ikuya [Synchrotoron Radiation Research Center, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8603 (Japan); Utsumi, Yuichi [Laboratory of Advance Science and Technology for Industry, University of Hyogo, 3-1-2 Koto, Kamigori, Ako, Hyogo 678-1205 (Japan)

2015-06-15

The deposition of gold nanoparticles in an electroplating solution containing gold (I) trisodium disulphite under synchrotron X-ray radiation was investigated. The nanoparticles grew and aggregated into clusters with increasing radiation time. This behavior is explained by evaluating the effect of Derjaguin-Landau-Verweyand-Overbeek (DLVO) interactions combining repulsive electrostatic and attractive van der Waals forces on the particle deposition process. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of 4,4′ -bipyridine (4bpy) in aqueous solution was measured using gold nanoparticles immobilized on silicon substrates under systematically-varied X-ray exposure. The substrates provided an in situ SERS spectrum for 1 nM 4bpy. This demonstration creates new opportunities for chemical and environmental analyses through simple SERS measurements. - Highlights: • Gold nanoparticles were produced by photochemical reaction of synchrotron radiation. • The gold nanoparticles grew and aggregated into the higher-order nanostructure. • The behavior is qualitatively explained by analytical estimation. • The surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of 4,4′-bipyridine (4bpy) was demonstrated. • The substrate fabricated in a suitable condition provides in situ SERS for 1 nM 4bpy.

Gold nanoparticle incorporated inverse opal photonic crystal capillaries for optofluidic surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xiangwei; Xue, Jiangyang; Mu, Zhongde; Huang, Yin; Lu, Meng; Gu, Zhongze

2015-10-15

Novel transducers are needed for point of care testing (POCT) devices which aim at facile, sensitive and quick acquisition of health related information. Recent advances in optofluidics offer tremendous opportunities for biological/chemical analysis using extremely small sample volumes. This paper demonstrates nanostructured capillary tubes for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) analysis in a flow-through fashion. The capillary tube integrates the SERS sensor and the nanofluidic structure to synergistically offer sample delivery and analysis functions. Inside the capillary tube, inverse opal photonic crystal (IO PhC) was fabricated using the co-assembly approach to form nanoscale liquid pathways. In the nano-voids of the IO PhC, gold nanoparticles were in situ synthesized and functioned as the SERS hotspots. The advantages of the flow-through SERS sensor are multifold. The capillary effect facilities the sample delivery process, the nanofluidic channels boosts the interaction of analyte and gold nanoparticles, and the PhC structure strengthens the optical field near the SERS hotspots and results in enhanced SERS signals from analytes. As an exemplary demonstration, the sensor was used to measure creatinein spiked in artificial urine samples with detection limit of 0.9 mg/dL. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tuning plasmons layer-by-layer for quantitative colloidal sensing with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, William J; Nowinska, Kamila; Hutter, Tanya; Mahajan, Sumeet; Fischlechner, Martin

2018-04-19

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is well known for its high sensitivity that emerges due to the plasmonic enhancement of electric fields typically on gold and silver nanostructures. However, difficulties associated with the preparation of nanostructured substrates with uniform and reproducible features limit reliability and quantitation using SERS measurements. In this work we use layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly to incorporate multiple functional building blocks of collaborative assemblies of nanoparticles on colloidal spheres to fabricate SERS sensors. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are packaged in discrete layers, effectively 'freezing nano-gaps', on spherical colloidal cores to achieve multifunctionality and reproducible sensing. Coupling between layers tunes the plasmon resonance for optimum SERS signal generation to achieve a 10 nM limit of detection. Significantly, using the layer-by-layer construction, SERS-active AuNP layers are spaced out and thus optically isolated. This uniquely allows the creation of an internal standard within each colloidal sensor to enable highly reproducible self-calibrated sensing. By using 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) as the internal standard adenine concentrations are quantified to an accuracy of 92.6-99.5%. Our versatile approach paves the way for rationally designed yet quantitative colloidal SERS sensors and their use in a variety of sensing applications.

Nanogap embedded silver gratings for surface plasmon enhanced fluorescence

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatnagar, Kunal

Plasmonic nanostructures have been extensively used in the past few decades for applications in sub-wavelength optics, data storage, optoelectronic circuits, microscopy and bio-photonics. The enhanced electromagnetic field produced at the metal and dielectric interface by the excitation of surface plasmons via incident radiation can be used for signal enhancement in fluorescence and surface enhanced Raman scattering studies. Novel plasmonic structures have shown to provide very efficient and extreme light concentration at the nano-scale in recent years. The enhanced electric field produced within a few hundred nanometers of these surfaces can be used to excite fluorophores in the surrounding environment. Fluorescence based bio-detection and bio-imaging are two of the most important tools in the life sciences and improving the qualities and capabilities of fluorescence based detectors and imaging equipment remains a big challenge for industry manufacturers. We report a novel fabrication technique for producing nano-gap embedded periodic grating substrates on the nanoscale using a store bought HD-DVD and conventional soft lithography procedures. Polymethylsilsesquioxane (PMSSQ) polymer is used as the ink for the micro-contact printing process with PDMS stamps obtained from the inexpensive HD-DVDs as master molds. Fluorescence enhancement factors of up to 118 times were observed with these silver nanostructures in conjugation with Rhodamine-590 fluorescent dye. These substrates are ideal candidates for a robust and inexpensive optical system with applications such as low-level fluorescence based analyte detection, single molecule imaging, and surface enhanced Raman studies. Preliminary results in single molecule experiments have also been obtained by imaging individual 3 nm and 20 nm dye-doped nanoparticles attached to the silver plasmonic gratings using epi-fluorescence microscopy.

Enhancement of Raman scattering from monolayer graphene by photonic crystal nanocavities

Science.gov (United States)

Kimura, Issei; Yoshida, Masahiro; Sota, Masaki; Inoue, Taiki; Chiashi, Shohei; Maruyama, Shigeo; Kato, Yuichiro K.

Monolayer graphene is an atomically thin two-dimensional material that shows strong Raman scattering, while photonic crystal nanocavities with small mode volumes allow for efficient optical coupling at the nanoscale. Here we demonstrate resonant enhancement of graphene Raman G' band by coupling to photonic crystal cavity modes. Hexagonal-lattice photonic crystal L3 cavities are fabricated from silicon-on-insulator substrates. and monolayer graphene sheets grown by chemical vapor deposition are transferred onto the nanocavities. Excitation wavelength dependence of Raman spectra show that the Raman intensity is enhanced when the G' peak is in resonance with the cavity mode. By performing imaging measurements, we confirm that such an enhancement is only observed at the cavity position. Work supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP16K13613, JP25107002 and MEXT (Photon Frontier Network Program, Nanotechnology Platform).

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering and density functional theory study of 1,4-benzenedithiol and its silver complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Yangfan; Li, Chongyang; Feng, Yuanming; Lin, Wang

2013-12-01

This paper experimentally and theoretically investigated Raman and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of 1,4-benzenedithiol (1,4-BDT). Density functional theory methods were used to study Raman scattering spectra of isolated 1,4-BDT and 1,4-BDT-Agn (n=2,4,6) complexes with B3LYP/6-311+g(d)(C,H,S)/Lanl2dz(Ag) basis set. A full assignment of the Raman spectrum of 1,4-BDT has been made based on the DFT analysis. The calculated data showed good agreement with experimental observations. The adsorption sites, metal cluster size, and HOMO-LUMO energies are discussed to give insight in the SERS mechanisms for 1,4-BDT molecules. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Facile synthesis of gold-capped TiO2 nanocomposites for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Di; Huang, Hao; Du, Deyang; Lang, Xianzhong; Long, Kailin; Hao, Qi; Qiu, Teng

2015-01-01

A convenient technique was developed to fabricate gold-capped TiO 2 nanocomposites as robust, cost-efficient and recyclable surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates. The morphologies of obtained nanocomposites exhibit nanotube, nanolace, and nanopore nanostructures by adjusting TiO 2 anodization parameters. As an illustration, dramatic enhancement is achieved using Rhodamine 6G as a molecular probe. Owing to activation by the incident laser beam, the localized electromagnetic field on the nanocomposite surface can be enhanced subsequently amplifying the Raman signal. The topography can be further tuned to optimize the enhancement factor by adjusting the time of gold evaporation. Finite-difference time-domain calculations indicate the nanopore structure may possess excellent SERS characteristic due to the high density of hot spots. In addition, the substrate can be self-cleaned under ultraviolet irradiation due to the superior photocatalytic capacity of the Au–TiO 2 nanocomposites. Our Au–TiO 2 nanocomposites with highly SERS-active properties and recyclability shows promising applications in the detection and treatment of pollutants. - Highlights: • Au–TiO 2 nanocomposites with different morphologies were fabricated. • Au–TiO 2 nanopore shows pronounced SERS compared with nanotube and nanolace. • The size of the gold nanocaps on Au–TiO 2 nanopore was tailored to optimize the SERS. • FDTD simulations indicate excellent SERS attributes to the high density of hot spots. • Au–TiO 2 nanocomposites prove to be recyclable substrates for SERS detection

SERS imaging of cell-surface biomolecules metabolically labeled with bioorthogonal Raman reporters.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Ming; Lin, Liang; Li, Zefan; Liu, Jie; Hong, Senlian; Li, Yaya; Zheng, Meiling; Duan, Xuanming; Chen, Xing

2014-08-01

Live imaging of biomolecules with high specificity and sensitivity as well as minimal perturbation is essential for studying cellular processes. Here, we report the development of a bioorthogonal surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) imaging approach that exploits small Raman reporters for visualizing cell-surface biomolecules. The cells were cultured and imaged by SERS microscopy on arrays of Raman-enhancing nanoparticles coated on silicon wafers or glass slides. The Raman reporters including azides, alkynes, and carbondeuterium bonds are small in size and spectroscopically bioorthogonal (background-free). We demonstrated that various cell-surface biomolecules including proteins, glycans, and lipids were metabolically incorporated with the corresponding precursors bearing a Raman reporter and visualized by SERS microscopy. The coupling of SERS microscopy with bioorthogonal Raman reporters expands the capabilities of live-cell microscopy beyond the modalities of fluorescence and label-free imaging. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Normal Raman and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopic experiments with thin layer chromatography spots of essential amino acids using different laser excitation sources

Science.gov (United States)

István, Krisztina; Keresztury, Gábor; Szép, Andrea

2003-06-01

A comparative study of the feasibility and efficiency of Raman spectroscopic detection of thin layer chromatography (TLC) spots of some weak Raman scatterers (essential amino acids, namely, glycine and L-forms of alanine, serine, valine, proline, hydroxyproline, and phenylalanine) was carried out using four different visible and near-infrared (NIR) laser radiations with wavelengths of 532, 633, 785, and 1064 nm. Three types of commercial TLC plates were tested and the possibility of inducing surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) by means of Ag-sol was also investigated. The spectra obtained from spotted analytes adsorbed on TLC plates were of very different quality strongly depending on the excitation wavelength, the wetness of the samples, and the compounds examined. The best results were obtained with the simple silica TLC plate, and it has been established that the longest wavelength (lowest energy) NIR excitation of a Nd:YAG laser is definitely more suitable for generating normal Raman scattering of analyte spots than any of the visible radiations. Concerning SERS with application of Ag-sol to the TLC spots, 1-3 orders of magnitude enhancement was observed with wet samples, the greatest with the 532 nm radiation and gradually smaller with the longer wavelength excitations. It is shown, however, that due to severe adsorption-induced spectral distortions and increased sensitivity to microscopic inhomogeneity of the sample, none of the SERS spectra obtained with the dispersive Raman microscope operating in the visible region were superior to the best NIR normal FT-Raman spectra, as far as sample identification is concerned.

Gold Nanoparticle-based Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering Fe(III) Ion Sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ly, Nguyen Hoang; Joo, Sang-Woo; Cho, Kwang Hwi

2015-01-01

We performed density functional theory (DFT) calculations of 4-aminobenzo-15-crown-5 (4AB15C5) in conjugation with 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4MCB) with the polarizable continuum model (PCM) while considering the aqueous media. After specific binding of the ferric ion onto the 4MCB.4AB15C5 compound, the Raman frequencies and intensities were estimated by DFT calculations with the PCM. It was predicted that the Raman intensities became significantly increased upon binding of the ferric ion. 4MCB.4AB15C5 could be assembled on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) via the cleavage of the thiol bond. Colorimetric and UV.Vis absorption spectroscopy indicated that AuNPs became significantly aggregated in the presence of 1.10 mM of the ferric ion. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of 4MCB.4AB15C5 was used to identify the dissimilar spectral behaviors that yield a difference in intensity in the presence of the ferric ion. These changes were not observed in the other biological ions Zn 2+ , Mn 2+ , Fe 2+ , Na + , K + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , NH 4+ , and Co 2+ . This study indicated that 4AB15C5 could be used to detect ferric ions in aqueous AuNP solutions by a combined method of colorimetric, UV.Vis absorption, and Raman spectroscopy. AuNPs.[4MCB. 4AB15C5] can thus be utilized as a selective turn-on sensor to Fe3 + in aqueous solutions above 1 mM.

Raman Spectroscopy with simple optic components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendoza, Mario; Cunya, Eduardo; Olivera, Paula

2014-01-01

Raman Spectroscopy is .a high resolution photonics technique that provides chemical and structural information of almost any material, organic or inorganic compound. In this report we describe the implementation of a system based on the principle of Raman scattering, developed to analyze solid samples. The spectrometer integrates an optical bench coupled to an optical fiber and a green laser source of 532 nm. The spectrometer was tested obtaining the Naphthalene and the Yellow 74 Pigment Raman patterns. (authors).

Three-dimensional nanoporous MoS2 framework decorated with Au nanoparticles for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Science.gov (United States)

Sheng, Yingqiang; Jiang, Shouzhen; Yang, Cheng; Liu, Mei; Liu, Aihua; Zhang, Chao; Li, Zhen; Huo, Yanyan; Wang, Minghong; Man, Baoyuan

2017-08-01

The three-dimensional (3D) MoS2 decorated with Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) hybrids (3D MoS2-Au NPs) for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing was demonstrated in this paper. SEM, Raman spectroscopy, TEM, SAED, EDX and XRD were performed to characterize 3D MoS2-Au NPs hybrids. Rhodamine 6G (R6G), fluorescein and gallic acid molecules were used as the probe for the SERS detection of the 3D MoS2-Au NPs hybrids. In addition, we modeled the enhancement of the electric field of MoS2-Au NPs hybrids using Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) analysis, which can further give assistance to the mechanism understanding of the SERS activity.

A facile precursor route to highly loaded metal/ceramic nanofibers as a robust surface-enhanced Raman template

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jay Hoon; Joo, Yong Lak

2017-09-01

We report silver (Ag)/ceramic nanofibers with highly robust and sensitive optical sensory capabilities that can withstand harsh conditions. These nanofibers are fabricated by first electrospinning solutions of poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) and metal precursor polymers, followed by subsequent series of heat treatment. The reported fabrication method demonstrate the effects of (i) the location of Ag crystals, (ii) crystal size and shape, and (iii) constituents of the ceramic matrix as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) templates with 10-6 M 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA). Notably, these silver/ceramic nanofibers preserved most of their highly sensitive localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) even under high temperature of 400 °C, in contrast to preformed Ag nanoparticles (NPs) in PVA nanofibers which lost most of its optical property presumably due to (i) Ag oxidation and (ii) loss of the matrix material. Among the ceramic substrates of ZrO2, Al2O3, and ZnO with silver crystals, we discovered that the ZnO substrate showed the most consistent and the strongest signal strength owing to the synergistic chemical and optical properties of the ZnO substrate. Moreover, the pure Ag nanofiber proved to be the best heat-resistant SERS template, owing to its (i) anisotropic morphology and (ii) thicker diameter when compared with other conventional Ag nanomaterials. These results demonstrated simple yet highly controllable fabrication of robust SERS templates, with potential applications in a catalytic sensory which is often exposed to harsh conditions.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic studies of the Au-pentacene interface: a combined experimental and theoretical investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Adil, D; Guha, S

2013-07-28

It has recently been shown [D. Adil and S. Guha, J. Phys. Chem. C 116, 12779 (2012)] that a large enhancement in the Raman intensity due to surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is observed from pentacene when probed through the Au contact in organic field-effect transistors (OFET) structures. Here, the SERS spectrum is shown to exhibit a high sensitivity to disorder introduced in the pentacene film by Au atoms. The Raman signature of the metal-semiconductor interface in pentacene OFETs is calculated with density-functional theory by explicitly considering the Au-pentacene interaction. The observed enhancement in the 1380 cm(-1) and the 1560 cm(-1) regions of the experimental Raman spectrum of pentacene is successfully modeled by Au-pentacene complexes, giving insights into the nature of disorder in the pentacene sp(2) network. Finally, we extend our previous work on high-operating voltage pentacene OFETs to low-operating voltage pentacene OFETs. No changes in the SERS spectra before and after subjecting the OFETs to a bias stress are observed, concurrent with no degradation in the threshold voltage. This shows that bias stress induced performance degradation is, in part, caused by field-induced structural changes in the pentacene molecule. Thus, we confirm that the SERS spectrum can be used as a visualization tool for correlating transport properties to structural changes, if any, in organic semiconductor based devices.

Electron-beam lithography of gold nanostructures for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

KAUST Repository

Yue, Weisheng

2012-10-26

The fabrication of nanostructured substrates with precisely controlled geometries and arrangements plays an important role in studies of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Here, we present two processes based on electron-beam lithography to fabricate gold nanostructures for SERS. One process involves making use of metal lift-off and the other involves the use of the plasma etching. These two processes allow the successful fabrication of gold nanostructures with various kinds of geometrical shapes and different periodic arrangements. 4-mercaptopyridine (4-MPy) and Rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules are used to probe SERS signals on the nanostructures. The SERS investigations on the nanostructured substrates demonstrate that the gold nanostructured substrates have resulted in large SERS enhancement, which is highly dependent on the geometrical shapes and arrangements of the gold nanostructures. © 2012 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Dielectric platforms for surface-enhanced spectroscopies (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Maier, Stefan A.

2016-03-01

Plasmonic nanostructures serve as the main backbone of surface enhanced sensing methodologies, yet the associated optical losses lead to localized heating as well as quenching of molecules, complicating their use for enhancement of fluorescent emission. Additionally, conventional plasmonic materials are limited to operation in the visible part of the spectrum. We will elucidate how nanostructures consisting of conventional and polar dielectrics can be employed as a highly promising alternative platform. Dielectric nanostructures can sustain scattering resonances due to both electric and magnetic Mie modes. We have recently predicted high enhanced local electromagnetic field hot spots in dielectric nanoantenna dimers, with the hallmark of spot sizes comparable to those achievable with plasmonic antennas, but with lower optical losses. Here, we will present first experimental evidence for both fluorescence and Raman enhancement in dielectric nanoantennas, including a direct determination of localized heating, and compare to conventional Au dimer antennas. The second part of the talk will focus on the mid-infrared regime of the electromagnetic spectrum, outlining possibilities for surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy based on polar and hyperbolic dielectrics.

Facile synthesis of gold coated copper(II) hydroxide pine-needle-like micro/nanostructures for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Kailin; Du, Deyang; Luo, Xiaoguang; Zhao, Weiwei; Wu, Zhangting; Si, Lifang; Qiu, Teng

2014-08-01

This work reports a facile method to fabricate gold coated copper(II) hydroxide pine-needle-like micro/nanostructures for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) application. The effects of reaction parameters on the shape, size and surface morphology of the products are systematically investigated. The as-prepared 3D hierarchical structures have the advantage of a large surface area available for the formation of hot spots and the adsorption of target analytes, thus dramatically improving the Raman signals. The finite difference time domain calculations indicate that the pine-needle-like model pattern may demonstrate a high quality SERS property owing to the high density and abundant hot spot characteristic in closely spaced needle-like arms.

Tuning the interaction between propagating and localized surface plasmons for surface enhanced Raman scattering in water for biomedical and environmental applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shioi, Masahiko, E-mail: shioi.masahiko@jp.panasonic.com [Device Solutions Center, Panasonic Corporation, 3-4, Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-0237 (Japan); Department of Electric and Electronic Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kobe University, Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe 657-8501 (Japan); Jans, Hilde [Interuniversity Microelectronics Center VZW., Kapeldreef 75, 3001 Leuven (Belgium); Lodewijks, Kristof [Interuniversity Microelectronics Center VZW., Kapeldreef 75, 3001 Leuven (Belgium); Department of Electrical Engineering, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200 D, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium); Van Dorpe, Pol; Lagae, Liesbet [Interuniversity Microelectronics Center VZW., Kapeldreef 75, 3001 Leuven (Belgium); Department of Physics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200 D, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium); Kawamura, Tatsuro [Device Solutions Center, Panasonic Corporation, 3-4, Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-0237 (Japan)

2014-06-16

With a view to biomedical and environmental applications, we investigate the plasmonic properties of a rectangular gold nanodisk array in water to boost surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effects. To control the resonance wavelengths of the surface plasmon polariton and the localized surface plasmon, their dependence on the array period and diameter in water is studied in detail using a finite difference time domain method. A good agreement is obtained between calculated resonant wavelengths and those of gold nanodisk arrays fabricated using electron beam lithography. For the optimized structure, a SERS enhancement factor of 7.8 × 10{sup 7} is achieved in water experimentally.

Resonance effects in Raman scattering of quantum dots formed by the Langmuir-Blodgett method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Milekhin, A G; Sveshnikova, L L; Duda, T A [Institute of Semiconductor Physics, Lavrentjev av.13, 630090, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Surovtsev, N V; Adichtchev, S V [Institute of Automation and Electrometry, Koptyug av.1, 630090, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Azhniuk, Yu M [Institute of Electron Physics, Universytetska Str. 21, 88017, Uzhhorod (Ukraine); Himcinschi, C [Institut fuer Theoretische Physik, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Leipziger Str. 23, 09596, Freiberg (Germany); Kehr, M; Zahn, D R T, E-mail: milekhin@thermo.isp.nsc.r [Semiconductor Physics, Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz (Germany)

2010-09-01

The enhancement of Raman scattering by optical phonon modes in quantum dots was achieved in resonant and surface-enhanced Raman scattering experiments by approaching the laser energy to the energy of either the interband transitions or the localized surface plasmons in silver nanoclusters deposited onto the nanostructures. Resonant Raman scattering by TO, LO, and SO phonons as well as their overtones was observed for PbS, ZnS, and ZnO quantum dots while enhancement for LO and SO modes in CdS quantum dots with a factor of about 700 was measured in surface enhanced Raman scattering experiments. Multiple phonon Raman scattering observed up to 5th and 7th order for CdS and ZnO, respectively, confirms the high crystalline quality of the grown QDs.

Raman Optical Activity and Raman Spectra of Amphetamine Species

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berg, Rolf W.; Shim, Irene; White, Peter Cyril

2012-01-01

Theoretical calculations and preliminary measurements of vibrational Raman optical activity (ROA) spectra of different species of amphetamine (amphetamine and amphetamine-H+) are reported for the first time. The quantum chemical calculations were carried out as hybrid ab initio DFT-molecular orbi......Theoretical calculations and preliminary measurements of vibrational Raman optical activity (ROA) spectra of different species of amphetamine (amphetamine and amphetamine-H+) are reported for the first time. The quantum chemical calculations were carried out as hybrid ab initio DFT...... are employed for identification purposes. The DFT calculations show that the most stable conformations are those allowing for close contact between the aromatic ring and the amine hydrogen atoms. The internal rotational barrier within the same amphetamine enanti- omer has a considerable influence on the Raman...

Graphene–Gold Nanoparticles Hybrid—Synthesis, Functionalization, and Application in a Electrochemical and Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Biosensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ibrahim Khalil

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Graphene is a single-atom-thick two-dimensional carbon nanosheet with outstanding chemical, electrical, material, optical, and physical properties due to its large surface area, high electron mobility, thermal conductivity, and stability. These extraordinary features of graphene make it a key component for different applications in the biosensing and imaging arena. However, the use of graphene alone is correlated with certain limitations, such as irreversible self-agglomerations, less colloidal stability, poor reliability/repeatability, and non-specificity. The addition of gold nanostructures (AuNS with graphene produces the graphene–AuNS hybrid nanocomposite which minimizes the limitations as well as providing additional synergistic properties, that is, higher effective surface area, catalytic activity, electrical conductivity, water solubility, and biocompatibility. This review focuses on the fundamental features of graphene, the multidimensional synthesis, and multipurpose applications of graphene–Au nanocomposites. The paper highlights the graphene–gold nanoparticle (AuNP as the platform substrate for the fabrication of electrochemical and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS-based biosensors in diverse applications as well as SERS-directed bio-imaging, which is considered as an emerging sector for monitoring stem cell differentiation, and detection and treatment of cancer.

Surface enhanced Raman scattering of gold nanoparticles supported on copper foil with graphene as a nanometer gap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiang, Quan; Zhu, Xupeng; Chen, Yiqin; Duan, Huigao

2016-01-01

Gaps with single-nanometer dimensions (<10 nm) between metallic nanostructures enable giant local field enhancements for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Monolayer graphene is an ideal candidate to obtain a sub-nanometer gap between plasmonic nanostructures. In this work, we demonstrate a simple method to achieve a sub-nanometer gap by dewetting a gold film supported on monolayer graphene grown on copper foil. The Cu foil can serve as a low-loss plasmonically active metallic film that supports the imaginary charge oscillations, while the graphene can not only create a stable sub-nanometer gap for massive plasmonic field enhancements but also serve as a chemical enhancer. We obtained higher SERS enhancements in this graphene-gapped configuration compared to those in Au nanoparticles on Cu film or on graphene–SiO 2 –Si. Also, the Raman signals measured maintained their fine features and intensities over a long time period, indicating the stability of this Au–graphene–Cu hybrid configuration as an SERS substrate. (paper)

Development of novel series and parallel sensing system based on nanostructured surface enhanced Raman scattering substrate for biomedical application

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Te-Wei

, and improved deposition technique are discussed in detail. Interesting phenomena have been found including the influence of Raman enhancement on substrate material selection and hot-spot rich bimetallic nanostructures by physical vapor deposition on metallic seed array, which are barely discussed in past literature but significantly affect the performance of SERS substrate. The optimized bimetallic backplane assisted resonating nanoantenna (BARNA) SERS substrate is demonstrated with the enhancement factor (EF) of 5.8 x 108 with 4.7 % relative standard deviation. By serial combination with optical focusing from nanojet effect, the nanojet and surface enhanced Raman scattering (NASERS) are proved to provide more than three orders of enhancement and enable us to perform stable, nearly single molecule detection. The second part of this thesis includes the development of a parallel dual functional nano Lycurgus cup array (nanoLCA) plasmonic device fabricated by nanoimprint replica technique. The unique configuration of the periodic nanoscale cup-shaped substrate enables a novel hybrid resonance coupling between SPR from extraordinary (EOT) and LSPR from dense sidewall metal nanoparticles with only single deposition process. The sub-50nm dense sidewall metal nanoparticles lead to high SERS performance in solution based detection, by which most biological and chemical analyses are typically performed. The SERS EF was calculated as 2.8 x 107 in a solution based environment with 10.2 % RSD, which is so far the highest reported SERS enhancement achieved with similar periodic EOT devices. In addition, plasmonic colorimetric sensing can be achieved in the very same device and the sensitivity was calculated as 796 nm/RIU with the FOM of 12.7. It creates a unique complementary sensing platform with both rapid on-site colorimetric screening and follow-up precise Raman analysis for point of care and resource limited environment applications. The implementations of bifunctional

A novel non-imaging optics based Raman spectroscopy device for transdermal blood analyte measurement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chae-Ryon Kong

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Due to its high chemical specificity, Raman spectroscopy has been considered to be a promising technique for non-invasive disease diagnosis. However, during Raman excitation, less than one out of a million photons undergo spontaneous Raman scattering and such weakness in Raman scattered light often require highly efficient collection of Raman scattered light for the analysis of biological tissues. We present a novel non-imaging optics based portable Raman spectroscopy instrument designed for enhanced light collection. While the instrument was demonstrated on transdermal blood glucose measurement, it can also be used for detection of other clinically relevant blood analytes such as creatinine, urea and cholesterol, as well as other tissue diagnosis applications. For enhanced light collection, a non-imaging optical element called compound hyperbolic concentrator (CHC converts the wide angular range of scattered photons (numerical aperture (NA of 1.0 from the tissue into a limited range of angles accommodated by the acceptance angles of the collection system (e.g., an optical fiber with NA of 0.22. A CHC enables collimation of scattered light directions to within extremely narrow range of angles while also maintaining practical physical dimensions. Such a design allows for the development of a very efficient and compact spectroscopy system for analyzing highly scattering biological tissues. Using the CHC-based portable Raman instrument in a clinical research setting, we demonstrate successful transdermal blood glucose predictions in human subjects undergoing oral glucose tolerance tests.

The studies of surface properties of 1.5 MeV Si-implanted silicon by multiphonon Raman spectrum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, X.

1995-01-01

The surface layer of crystalline silicon implanted by 1.5 MeV Si ions with doses ranging from 1 x 10 11 to 1 x 10 15 Si + cm -2 has been studied by two-phonon Raman spectra in both the acoustical overtone region and optical overtone region. Two-phonon Raman line intensities and shifts have been used to investigate the properties in the skin layer. The experimental two-phonon Raman spectra showed a decrease in intensity for both optical and acoustical two-phonon Raman peaks and also showed shifts by different amounts in different directions depending on the particular phonons. The stress values obtained by two-phonon Raman line shifts are compared with those obtained previously by one-phonon Raman shifts. The comparison shows that the surface defects make no contribution to two-phonon Raman line shifts. The two-phonon Raman line shifts show that the surface stress increases as a function of implantation doses. (author)

Optimal Hotspots of Dynamic Surfaced-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy for Drugs Quantitative Detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Xiunan; Li, Pan; Zhou, Binbin; Tang, Xianghu; Li, Xiaoyun; Weng, Shizhuang; Yang, Liangbao; Liu, Jinhuai

2017-05-02

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) as a powerful qualitative analysis method has been widely applied in many fields. However, SERS for quantitative analysis still suffers from several challenges partially because of the absence of stable and credible analytical strategy. Here, we demonstrate that the optimal hotspots created from dynamic surfaced-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (D-SERS) can be used for quantitative SERS measurements. In situ small-angle X-ray scattering was carried out to in situ real-time monitor the formation of the optimal hotspots, where the optimal hotspots with the most efficient hotspots were generated during the monodisperse Au-sol evaporating process. Importantly, the natural evaporation of Au-sol avoids the nanoparticles instability of salt-induced, and formation of ordered three-dimensional hotspots allows SERS detection with excellent reproducibility. Considering SERS signal variability in the D-SERS process, 4-mercaptopyridine (4-mpy) acted as internal standard to validly correct and improve stability as well as reduce fluctuation of signals. The strongest SERS spectra at the optimal hotspots of D-SERS have been extracted to statistics analysis. By using the SERS signal of 4-mpy as a stable internal calibration standard, the relative SERS intensity of target molecules demonstrated a linear response versus the negative logarithm of concentrations at the point of strongest SERS signals, which illustrates the great potential for quantitative analysis. The public drugs 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and α-methyltryptamine hydrochloride obtained precise analysis with internal standard D-SERS strategy. As a consequence, one has reason to believe our approach is promising to challenge quantitative problems in conventional SERS analysis.

Optimizing laser crater enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lednev, V N; Sdvizhenskii, P A; Grishin, M Ya; Filichkina, V A; Shchegolikhin, A N; Pershin, S M

2018-03-20

Raman signal enhancement by laser crater production was systematically studied for 785 nm continuous wave laser pumping. Laser craters were produced in L-aspartic acid powder by a nanosecond pulsed solid state neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser (532 nm, 8 ns, 1 mJ/pulse), while Raman spectra were then acquired by using a commercial spectrometer with 785 nm laser beam pumping. The Raman signal enhancement effect was studied in terms of the number of ablating pulses used, the lens-to-sample distance, and the crater-center-laser-spot offset. The influence of the experiment parameters on Raman signal enhancement was studied for different powder materials. Maximum Raman signal enhancement reached 11 fold for loose powders but decreased twice for pressed tablets. Raman signal enhancement was demonstrated for several diverse powder materials like gypsum or ammonium nitrate with better results achieved for the samples tending to give narrow and deep craters upon the laser ablation stage. Alternative ways of cavity production (steel needle tapping and hole drilling) were compared with the laser cratering technique in terms of Raman signal enhancement. Drilling was found to give the poorest enhancement of the Raman signal, while both laser ablation and steel needle tapping provided comparable results. Here, we have demonstrated for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, that a Raman signal can be enhanced 10 fold with the aid of simple cavity production by steel needle tapping in rough highly reflective materials. Though laser crater enhancement Raman spectroscopy requires an additional pulsed laser, this technique is more appropriate for automatization compared to the needle tapping approach.

Raman Spectroscopy with simple optic components; Espectrometria Raman con componentes opticos simples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mendoza, Mario; Cunya, Eduardo; Olivera, Paula [Direccion de Investigacion y Desarrollo, Instituto Peruano de Energia Nuclear, Lima (Peru)

2014-07-01

Raman Spectroscopy is .a high resolution photonics technique that provides chemical and structural information of almost any material, organic or inorganic compound. In this report we describe the implementation of a system based on the principle of Raman scattering, developed to analyze solid samples. The spectrometer integrates an optical bench coupled to an optical fiber and a green laser source of 532 nm. The spectrometer was tested obtaining the Naphthalene and the Yellow 74 Pigment Raman patterns. (authors).

Cell Imaging by Spontaneous and Amplified Raman Spectroscopies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giulia Rusciano

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Raman spectroscopy (RS is a powerful, noninvasive optical technique able to detect vibrational modes of chemical bonds. The high chemical specificity due to its fingerprinting character and the minimal requests for sample preparation have rendered it nowadays very popular in the analysis of biosystems for diagnostic purposes. In this paper, we first discuss the main advantages of spontaneous RS by describing the study of a single protozoan (Acanthamoeba, which plays an important role in a severe ophthalmological disease (Acanthamoeba keratitis. Later on, we point out that the weak signals that originated from Raman scattering do not allow probing optically thin samples, such as cellular membrane. Experimental approaches able to overcome this drawback are based on the use of metallic nanostructures, which lead to a huge amplification of the Raman yields thanks to the excitation of localized surface plasmon resonances. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS and tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS are examples of such innovative techniques, in which metallic nanostructures are assembled on a flat surface or on the tip of a scanning probe microscope, respectively. Herein, we provide a couple of examples (red blood cells and bacterial spores aimed at studying cell membranes with these techniques.

Facile synthesis of terminal-alkyne bioorthogonal molecules for live -cell surface-enhanced Raman scattering imaging through Au-core and silver/dopamine-shell nanotags.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Meng; Zhang, Ling; Yang, Bo; Gao, Mingxia; Zhang, Xiangmin

2018-03-01

Alkyne is unique, specific and biocompatible in the Raman-silent region of the cell, but there still remains a challenge to achieve ultrasensitive detection in living systems due to its weak Raman scattering. Herein, a terminal alkyne ((E)-2-[4-(ethynylbenzylidene)amino]ethane-1-thiol (EBAE)) with surface-enhanced Raman scattering is synthesized. The EBAE molecule possesses S- and C-termini, which can be directly bonded to gold nanoparticles and dopamine/silver by forming the Au-S chemical bond and the carbon-metal bond, respectively. The distance between Raman reporter and AuNPs/AgNPs can be reduced, contributing to forming hot-spot-based SERS substrate. The alkyne functionalized nanoparticles are based on Au core and encapsulating polydopamine shell, defined as Au-core and dopamine/Ag-shell (ACDS). The bimetallic ACDS induce strong SERS signals for molecular imaging that arise from the strong electromagnetic field. Furthermore, the EBAE provides a distinct peak in the cellular Raman-silent region with nearly zero background interference. The EBAE Raman signals could be tremendously enhanced when the Raman reporter is located at the middle of the Au-core and dopamine/Ag-shell. Therefore, this work could have huge potential benefits for the highly sensitive detection of intercellular information delivery by connecting the recognition molecules in biomedical diagnostics. Graphical abstract Terminal-alkyne-functionalized Au-core and silver/dopamine-shell nanotags for live-cell surface-enhanced Raman scattering imaging.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of hexabenzobenzene, C24H12, an analogue of a graphene nanostructure

Science.gov (United States)

Owens, Frank J.

2018-05-01

While large scale fabrication of graphene nanoribbons remains a challenge, there exist materials which can be fabricated in quantities such as hexabenzobenzene,HBZB, (C24H12) and which have a two-dimensional (2D) carbon structure similar to graphene nanostructures. Using a 632 nm laser, no Raman spectra could be obtained from the solid material because of a strong luminescence produced by the laser. However, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy enabled the measurement of some of the Raman active modes. The G and D modes, which are characteristic fingerprints of a 2D graphene structure, were observed at 1331 and 1600 cm-1, respectively. Density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-31G* level was used to calculate the minimum energy structure and the Raman active vibrational frequencies of HBZB. The calculated minimum energy structure was 2D having D6h symmetry in agreement with the experimental structure in the liquid phase. The calculated frequencies were in good agreement with the measured values.

Corrosion product characterisation by fibre optic raman spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guzonas, D.A.; Rochefort, P.A.; Turner, C.W.

1998-01-01

Fibre optic Raman spectroscopy has been used to characterise secondary-side deposits removed from CANDU steam generators. The deposits examined were in the form of powders, millimetre-sized flakes, and deposits on the surfaces of pulled steam generator tubes. The compositions of the deposits obtained using Raman spectroscopy are similar to the compositions obtained using other ex-situ analytical techniques. A semi-quantitative estimate of amounts of the major components can be obtained from the spectra. It was noted that the signal-to-noise ratio of the Raman spectra decreased as the amount of magnetite in the deposit increased, as a result of absorption of the laser light by the magnetite. The conversion of magnetite to hematite by the laser beam was observed when high laser powers were used. The Raman spectra of larger flake samples clearly illustrate the inhomogeneous nature of the deposits. (author)

Functionalized gold nanostars for label-free detection of PKA phosphorylation using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

He, Shuai; Kah, James C. Y.

2017-04-01

Protein phosphorylation controls fundamental biological processes. Dysregulation of protein kinase is associated with a series of human diseases including cancer. Protein kinase A (PKA) activity has been reported to serve as a potential prognostic marker for cancer. To this end, we developed a non-radioactive, rapid, cheap and robust scheme based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for label-free detection of PKA phosphorylation using gold nanostars (AuNS) functionalized with BSA-kemptide. While bovine serum albumin (BSA) proteins stabilized the AuNS, kemptide, which is a high affinity substrate peptide specific for PKA, were phosphorylated in vitro to generate Raman signals that were identified by performing principal component analysis (PCA) on the acquired SERS spectra.

Hollow-Core Photonic Crystal Fibers for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Probes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xuan Yang

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Photonic crystal fiber (PCF sensors based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS have become increasingly attractive in chemical and biological detections due to the molecular specificity, high sensitivity, and flexibility. In this paper, we review the development of PCF SERS sensors with emphasis on our recent work on SERS sensors utilizing hollow-core photonic crystal fibers (HCPCFs. Specifically, we discuss and compare various HCPCF SERS sensors, including the liquid-filled HCPCF and liquid-core photonic crystal fibers (LCPCFs. We experimentally demonstrate and theoretically analyze the high sensitivity of the HCPCF SERS sensors. Various molecules including Rhodamine B, Rhodamine 6G, human insulin, and tryptophan have been tested to show the excellent performance of these fiber sensors.

Microscopic theory of cavity-enhanced single-photon emission from optical two-photon Raman processes

Science.gov (United States)

Breddermann, Dominik; Praschan, Tom; Heinze, Dirk; Binder, Rolf; Schumacher, Stefan

2018-03-01

We consider cavity-enhanced single-photon generation from stimulated two-photon Raman processes in three-level systems. We compare four fundamental system configurations, one Λ -, one V-, and two ladder (Ξ -) configurations. These can be realized as subsystems of a single quantum dot or of quantum-dot molecules. For a new microscopic understanding of the Raman process, we analyze the Heisenberg equation of motion applying the cluster-expansion scheme. Within this formalism an exact and rigorous definition of a cavity-enhanced Raman photon via its corresponding Raman correlation is possible. This definition for example enables us to systematically investigate the on-demand potential of Raman-transition-based single-photon sources. The four system arrangements can be divided into two subclasses, Λ -type and V-type, which exhibit strongly different Raman-emission characteristics and Raman-emission probabilities. Moreover, our approach reveals whether the Raman path generates a single photon or just induces destructive quantum interference with other excitation paths. Based on our findings and as a first application, we gain a more detailed understanding of experimental data from the literature. Our analysis and results are also transferable to the case of atomic three-level-resonator systems and can be extended to more complicated multilevel schemes.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detection using plasmonic bimetallic nanogap substrate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wong, Chi Lok; Dinish, U. S.; Buddharaju, Kavitha Devi

2014-01-01

In this paper, we present surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detection with bimetallic nanogap structure substrate. Deep UV photolithography at the wavelength of 250 nm is used to pattern circular shape nanostructures. The nanogap between adjacent cir......-based VOCs detection platform for point-of-care breath analysis, homeland security, chemical sensing and environmental monitoring....

Raman enhancement effect on two-dimensional layered materials: graphene, h-BN and MoS2.

Science.gov (United States)

Ling, Xi; Fang, Wenjing; Lee, Yi-Hsien; Araujo, Paulo T; Zhang, Xu; Rodriguez-Nieva, Joaquin F; Lin, Yuxuan; Zhang, Jin; Kong, Jing; Dresselhaus, Mildred S

2014-06-11

Realizing Raman enhancement on a flat surface has become increasingly attractive after the discovery of graphene-enhanced Raman scattering (GERS). Two-dimensional (2D) layered materials, exhibiting a flat surface without dangling bonds, were thought to be strong candidates for both fundamental studies of this Raman enhancement effect and its extension to meet practical applications requirements. Here, we study the Raman enhancement effect on graphene, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), by using the copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) molecule as a probe. This molecule can sit on these layered materials in a face-on configuration. However, it is found that the Raman enhancement effect, which is observable on graphene, hBN, and MoS2, has different enhancement factors for the different vibrational modes of CuPc, depending strongly on the surfaces. Higher-frequency phonon modes of CuPc (such as those at 1342, 1452, 1531 cm(-1)) are enhanced more strongly on graphene than that on h-BN, while the lower frequency phonon modes of CuPc (such as those at 682, 749, 1142, 1185 cm(-1)) are enhanced more strongly on h-BN than that on graphene. MoS2 demonstrated the weakest Raman enhancement effect as a substrate among these three 2D materials. These differences are attributed to the different enhancement mechanisms related to the different electronic properties and chemical bonds exhibited by the three substrates: (1) graphene is zero-gap semiconductor and has a nonpolar C-C bond, which induces charge transfer (2) h-BN is insulating and has a strong B-N bond, while (3) MoS2 is semiconducting with the sulfur atoms on the surface and has a polar covalent bond (Mo-S) with the polarity in the vertical direction to the surface. Therefore, the different Raman enhancement mechanisms differ for each material: (1) charge transfer may occur for graphene; (2) strong dipole-dipole coupling may occur for h-BN, and (3) both charge transfer and dipole-dipole coupling may

Increasing surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy effect of RNA and DNA components by changing the pH of silver colloidal suspensions.

Science.gov (United States)

Primera-Pedrozo, Oliva M; Rodríguez, Gabriela Del Mar; Castellanos, Jorge; Felix-Rivera, Hilsamar; Resto, Oscar; Hernández-Rivera, Samuel P

2012-02-15

This work focused on establishing the parameters for enhancing the Raman signals of DNA and RNA constituents: nitrogenous bases, nucleosides and nucleotides, using metallic nanoparticles as surface enhanced Raman scattering substrates. Silver nanospheres were synthesized using sodium borohydride as a reducing agent and sodium citrate as a capping agent. The prepared nanoparticles had a surface plasmon band at ∼384nm and an average size of 12±3nm. The nanoparticles' surface charge was manipulated by changing the pH of the Ag colloidal suspensions in the range of 1-13. Low concentrations as 0.7μM were detected under the experimental conditions. The optimum pH values were: 7 for adenine, 9 for AMP, 5 for adenosine, 7 for dAMP and 11 for deoxyadenosine. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tip-Selective Growth of Silver on Gold Nanostars for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Weiqing; Liu, Jie; Niu, Wenxin; Yan, Heng; Lu, Xianmao; Liu, Bin

2018-04-19

Nanogaps as "hot spots" with highly localized surface plasmon can generate ultrastrong electromagnetic fields. Superior to the exterior nanogaps obtained via aggregation and self-assembly, interior nanogaps within Au and Ag nanostructures give stable and reproducible surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signals. However, the synthesis of nanostructures with interior hot spots is still challenging because of the lack of high-yield strategies and clear design principles. Herein, gold-silver nanoclusters (Au-Ag NCs) with multiple interior hot spots were fabricated as SERS platforms via selective growth of Ag nanoparticles on the tips of Au nanostars (Au NSs). Furthermore, the interior gap sizes of Au-Ag NCs can be facilely tuned by changing the amount of AgNO 3 used. Upon 785 nm excitation, single Au-Ag NC 350 exhibits 43-fold larger SERS enhancement factor and the optimal signal reproducibility relative to single Au NS. The SERS enhancement factors and signal reproducibility of Au-Ag NCs increase with the decrease of gap sizes. Collectively, the Au-Ag NCs could serve as a flexible, reproducible, and active platform for SERS investigation.

Cavity-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy for Food Chain Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincenz Sandfort

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Comprehensive food chain management requires the monitoring of many parameters including temperature, humidity, and multiple gases. The latter is highly challenging because no low-cost technology for the simultaneous chemical analysis of multiple gaseous components currently exists. This contribution proposes the use of cavity enhanced Raman spectroscopy to enable online monitoring of all relevant components using a single laser source. A laboratory scale setup is presented and characterized in detail. Power enhancement of the pump light is achieved in an optical resonator with a Finesse exceeding 2500. A simulation for the light scattering behavior shows the influence of polarization on the spatial distribution of the Raman scattered light. The setup is also used to measure three relevant showcase gases to demonstrate the feasibility of the approach, including carbon dioxide, oxygen and ethene.

Synthesis of anti-aggregation silver nanoparticles based on inositol hexakisphosphoric micelles for a stable surface enhanced Raman scattering substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Na; Yang Haifeng; Zhu Xuan; Zhang Rui; Wang Yao; Huang Guanfeng; Zhang Zongrang

2009-01-01

We report a novel method of synthesizing a kind of silver nanoparticles aided by the inositol hexakisphosphoric micelle as a soft template and stabilizer. By controlling the reaction time, UV-vis and TEM observations of the size growth of the nanoparticles are performed. Careful examinations of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of 2-mercaptopyridine (2-Mpy) on the as-produced silver nanoparticles exhibit very stable and reproducible Raman signals within about 4 months.

Quick Detection of Contaminants Leaching from Polypropylene Centrifuge Tube with Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy and Ultra Violet Absorption Spectroscopy

OpenAIRE

Xu, Zhida; Liu, Logan

2014-01-01

Anomalous surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) peaks are identified for liquid sample stored in polypropylene centrifuge tubes (PP tube) for months. We observed the unexpected Raman peaks during experiments for Thiamine Hydrochloride aqueous solution stored in PP tube for two months. In order to identify the contaminants we have performed SERS experiments for de-ionized water (DI water) stored in polypropylene centrifuge tube for two months and compared them with fresh DI water sample. We...

Sub-100 nm gold nanohole-enhanced Raman scattering on flexible PDMS sheets

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seunghyun; Ongko, Andry; Kim, Ho Young; Yim, Sang-Gu; Jeon, Geumhye; Jeong, Hee Jin; Lee, Seungwoo; Kwak, Minseok; Yang, Seung Yun

2016-08-01

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a highly sensitive vibrational spectroscopy technique enabling detection of multiple analytes at the molecular level in a nondestructive and rapid manner. In this work, we introduce a new approach to fabricate deep subwavelength-scaled (sub-100 nm) metallic nanohole arrays (quasi-3D metallic nanoholes) on flexible and highly efficient SERS substrates. Target structures have been fabricated using a two-step process consisting of (i) direct pattern transfer of spin-coated polymer films onto polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates by plasma etching with transferred anodic aluminum oxide masks, and (ii) producing SERS-active substrates by functionalization of the etched polymeric films followed by Au deposition. Such an all-dry, top-down lithographic approach enables on-demand patterning of SERS-active metallic nanoholes with high structural fidelity even onto flexible and stretchable substrates, thus making possible multiple sensing modes in a versatile fashion. For example, metallic nanoholes on flexible PDMS substrates are highly amenable to their integration with curved glass sticks, which can be used in optical fiber-integrated SERS systems. Au surfaces immobilized by probe DNA molecules show a selective enhancement of Raman scattering with Cy5-labeled complementary DNA (as compared to flat Au surfaces), demonstrating the potential of using the quasi-3D Au nanohole arrays for bio-sensing applications.

Influences of Au ion radiation on microstructure and surface-enhanced Raman scattering of nanoporous copper

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jing; Hu, Zhaoyi; Li, Rui; Liu, Xiongjun; Xu, Chuan; Wang, Hui; Wu, Yuan; Fu, Engang; Lu, Zhaoping

2018-05-01

In this work, effects of Au ion irradiation on microstructure and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) performance of nanoporous copper (NPC) were investigated. It is found that the microstructure of NPC could be tailored by the ion irradiation dose, i.e., the pore size decreases while the ligament size significantly coarsens with the increase of the irradiation dose. In addition, the SERS enhancement for rhodamine 6G molecules was improved by Au ions irradiation at an appropriate dose. The underlying mechanism of the increase of SERS enhancement resulted from ion irradiation was discussed. Our findings could provide a new way to tune nanoporosity of nanoporous metals and improve their SERS performance.

Anti-reflection textured structures by wet etching and island lithography for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chao, Bo-Kai [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Cheng, Hsin-Hung [Department of Marine Engineering, Taipei College of Maritime Technology, Taipei 11174, Taiwan (China); Nien, Li-Wei; Chen, Miin-Jang [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Nagao, Tadaaki [Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044 (Japan); Li, Jia-Han [Department of Engineering Science and Ocean Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Hsueh, Chun-Hway, E-mail: hsuehc@ntu.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China)

2015-12-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We fabricated textured SERS substrate with a high surface area and low reflectance. • Large surface area of substrate contains more gold nanodroplets to absorb analytes. • Low reflectance of textured SERS substrate enabled multiple reflections of incident laser light. • We obtained strong SERS enhancement from nanopillar-on-pyramid SERS substrate. - Abstract: A high surface area and low reflection textured surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate with plasmonic gold nanodroplets fabricated by wet etching and island lithography was reported in the present study. Specifically, four textured substrates, planar, pyramid, nanopillar, and nanopillar-on-pyramid, were fabricated. The fabricated structures were simulated using the finite-difference time-domain method and the results agreed with the reflection and dark-field scattering measurements. Although the SERS signals varied in different measured regions because of the random nanostructure, the SERS substrates with nanopillar-on-pyramid structure always have the stronger enhancement factor than the SERS substrates with only pyramids or nanopillars. Based on the atomic force microscope and reflection measurements, the nanopillar-on-pyramid structure provided a large surface area and multiple reflections for SERS enhancement, which was about 3 orders of magnitude larger than that of the planar substrate. Our results can be applied to fabricate the inexpensive, large surface area, and high SERS enhancement substrates.

Sensitive Detection of Biomolecules by Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering using Plant Leaves as Natural Substrates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharma Vipul

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Detection of biomolecules is highly important for biomedical and other biological applications. Although several methods exist for the detection of biomolecules, surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS has a unique role in greatly enhancing the sensitivity. In this work, we have demonstrated the use of natural plant leaves as facile, low cost and eco-friendly SERS substrates for the sensitive detection of biomolecules. Specifically, we have investigated the influence of surface topography of five different plant leaf based substrates, deposited with Au, on the SERS performance by using L-cysteine as a model biomolecule. In addition, we have also compared the effect of sputter deposition of Au thin film with dropcast deposition of Au nanoparticles on the leaf substrates. Our results indicate that L-cysteine could be detected with high sensitivity using these plant leaf based substrates and the leaf possessing hierarchical micro/nanostructures on its surface shows higher SERS enhancement compared to a leaf having a nearplanar surface. Furthermore, leaves with drop-casted Au nanoparticle clusters performed better than the leaves sputter deposited with a thin Au film.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering on gold nanorod pairs with interconnection bars of different widths

KAUST Repository

Yue, Weisheng

2012-08-01

We demonstrate that surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) enhancement could be tuned by adjusting the width of a connection bar at the bottom of a gold nanorod pair. Arrays of gold nanorod pairs with interconnection bars of different widths at the bottom of the interspace were fabricated by electron-beam lithography and used for the SERS study. Rhodamine 6G (R6G) was used as the probe molecule for the SERS. In addition to the large SERS enhancement observed in the nanostructured substrates, the SERS enhancement increases as the width of the connection bar increases. This result provides an important method for tuning SERS enhancement. Numerical simulations of electromagnetic properties on the nanostructures were performed with CST Microwave Studio, and the results correspond well with the experimental observations. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhanced light scattering of the forbidden longitudinal optical phonon mode studied by micro-Raman spectroscopy on single InN nanowires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaefer-Nolte, E O; Stoica, T; Gotschke, T; Limbach, F A; Gruetzmacher, D; Calarco, R; Sutter, E; Sutter, P

2010-01-01

In the literature, there are controversies on the interpretation of the appearance in InN Raman spectra of a strong scattering peak in the energy region of the unscreened longitudinal optical (LO) phonons, although a shift caused by the phonon-plasmon interaction is expected for the high conductance observed in this material. Most measurements on light scattering are performed on ensembles of InN nanowires (NWs). However, it is important to investigate the behavior of individual nanowires and here we report on micro-Raman measurements on single nanowires. When changing the polarization direction of the incident light from parallel to perpendicular to the wire, the expected reduction of the Raman scattering was observed for transversal optical (TO) and E 2 phonon scattering modes, while a strong symmetry-forbidden LO mode was observed independently on the laser polarization direction. Single Mg- and Si-doped crystalline InN nanowires were also investigated. Magnesium doping results in a sharpening of the Raman peaks, while silicon doping leads to an asymmetric broadening of the LO peak. The results can be explained based on the influence of the high electron concentration with a strong contribution of the surface accumulation layer and the associated internal electric field.

Enhanced Light Scattering of the Forbidden longitudinal Optical Phonon Mode Studied by Micro-Raman Spectroscopy on Single InN nanowires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sutter, E.; Schafer-Nolte, E.O.; Stoica, T.; Gotschke, T.; Limbach, F.A.; Sutter, P.; Grutzmacher, D.; Calarco, R.

2010-01-01

In the literature, there are controversies on the interpretation of the appearance in InN Raman spectra of a strong scattering peak in the energy region of the unscreened longitudinal optical (LO) phonons, although a shift caused by the phonon-plasmon interaction is expected for the high conductance observed in this material. Most measurements on light scattering are performed on ensembles of InN nanowires (NWs). However, it is important to investigate the behavior of individual nanowires and here we report on micro-Raman measurements on single nanowires. When changing the polarization direction of the incident light from parallel to perpendicular to the wire, the expected reduction of the Raman scattering was observed for transversal optical (TO) and E2 phonon scattering modes, while a strong symmetry-forbidden LO mode was observed independently on the laser polarization direction. Single Mg- and Si-doped crystalline InN nanowires were also investigated. Magnesium doping results in a sharpening of the Raman peaks, while silicon doping leads to an asymmetric broadening of the LO peak. The results can be explained based on the influence of the high electron concentration with a strong contribution of the surface accumulation layer and the associated internal electric field.

Enhanced light scattering of the forbidden longitudinal optical phonon mode studied by micro-Raman spectroscopy on single InN nanowires.

Science.gov (United States)

Schäfer-Nolte, E O; Stoica, T; Gotschke, T; Limbach, F A; Sutter, E; Sutter, P; Grützmacher, D; Calarco, R

2010-08-06

In the literature, there are controversies on the interpretation of the appearance in InN Raman spectra of a strong scattering peak in the energy region of the unscreened longitudinal optical (LO) phonons, although a shift caused by the phonon-plasmon interaction is expected for the high conductance observed in this material. Most measurements on light scattering are performed on ensembles of InN nanowires (NWs). However, it is important to investigate the behavior of individual nanowires and here we report on micro-Raman measurements on single nanowires. When changing the polarization direction of the incident light from parallel to perpendicular to the wire, the expected reduction of the Raman scattering was observed for transversal optical (TO) and E(2) phonon scattering modes, while a strong symmetry-forbidden LO mode was observed independently on the laser polarization direction. Single Mg- and Si-doped crystalline InN nanowires were also investigated. Magnesium doping results in a sharpening of the Raman peaks, while silicon doping leads to an asymmetric broadening of the LO peak. The results can be explained based on the influence of the high electron concentration with a strong contribution of the surface accumulation layer and the associated internal electric field.

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopic studies on aspirin : An experimental and theoretical approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Premkumar, R.; Premkumar, S.; Parameswari, A.; Mathavan, T.; Benial, A. Milton Franklin; Rekha, T. N.

2016-01-01

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) studies on aspirin molecule adsorbed on silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were investigated by experimental and density functional theory approach. The AgNPs were synthesized by the solution-combustion method and characterized by the X-ray diffraction and high resolution-transmission electron microscopy techniques. The averaged particle size of synthesized AgNPs was calculated as ∼55 nm. The normal Raman spectrum (nRs) and SERS spectrum of the aspirin were recorded. The molecular structure of the aspirin and aspirin adsorbed on silver cluster were optimized by the DFT/ B3PW91 method with LanL2DZ basis set. The vibrational frequencies were calculated and assigned on the basis of potential energy distribution calculation. The calculated nRs and SERS frequencies were correlated well with the observed frequencies. The flat-on orientation was predicted from the nRs and SERS spectra, when the aspirin adsorbed on the AgNPs. Hence, the present studies lead to the understanding of adsorption process of aspirin on the AgNPs, which paves the way for biomedical applications.

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopic studies on aspirin : An experimental and theoretical approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Premkumar, R.; Premkumar, S.; Parameswari, A.; Mathavan, T.; Benial, A. Milton Franklin, E-mail: miltonfranklin@yahoo.com [Department of Physics, N.M.S.S.V.N College, Madurai-625019, Tamilnadu, India. (India); Rekha, T. N. [PG and Research Department of Physics, Lady Doak College, Madurai-625 002, Tamilnadu, India. (India)

2016-05-06

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) studies on aspirin molecule adsorbed on silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were investigated by experimental and density functional theory approach. The AgNPs were synthesized by the solution-combustion method and characterized by the X-ray diffraction and high resolution-transmission electron microscopy techniques. The averaged particle size of synthesized AgNPs was calculated as ∼55 nm. The normal Raman spectrum (nRs) and SERS spectrum of the aspirin were recorded. The molecular structure of the aspirin and aspirin adsorbed on silver cluster were optimized by the DFT/ B3PW91 method with LanL2DZ basis set. The vibrational frequencies were calculated and assigned on the basis of potential energy distribution calculation. The calculated nRs and SERS frequencies were correlated well with the observed frequencies. The flat-on orientation was predicted from the nRs and SERS spectra, when the aspirin adsorbed on the AgNPs. Hence, the present studies lead to the understanding of adsorption process of aspirin on the AgNPs, which paves the way for biomedical applications.

Direct identification of on-bead peptides using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic barcoding system for high-throughput bioanalysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Homan; Jeong, Sinyoung; Koh, Yul; Geun Cha, Myeong; Yang, Jin-Kyoung; Kyeong, San; Kim, Jaehi; Kwak, Seon-Yeong; Chang, Hye-Jin; Lee, Hyunmi; Jeong, Cheolhwan; Kim, Jong-Ho; Jun, Bong-Hyun; Kim, Yong-Kweon; Hong Jeong, Dae; Lee, Yoon-Sik

2015-05-28

Recently, preparation and screening of compound libraries remain one of the most challenging tasks in drug discovery, biomarker detection, and biomolecular profiling processes. So far, several distinct encoding/decoding methods such as chemical encoding, graphical encoding, and optical encoding have been reported to identify those libraries. In this paper, a simple and efficient surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) barcoding method using highly sensitive SERS nanoparticles (SERS ID) is presented. The 44 kinds of SERS IDs were able to generate simple codes and could possibly generate more than one million kinds of codes by incorporating combinations of different SERS IDs. The barcoding method exhibited high stability and reliability under bioassay conditions. The SERS ID encoding based screening platform can identify the peptide ligand on the bead and also quantify its binding affinity for specific protein. We believe that our SERS barcoding technology is a promising method in the screening of one-bead-one-compound (OBOC) libraries for drug discovery.

Surface-Enhanced Resonance Raman Scattering and Visible Extinction Spectroscopy of Copper Chlorophyllin: An Upper Level Chemistry Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Schnitzer, Cheryl S.; Reim, Candace Lawson; Sirois, John J.; House, Paul G.

2010-01-01

Advanced chemistry students are introduced to surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) by studying how sodium copper chlorophyllin (CuChl) adsorbs onto silver colloids (CuChl/Ag) as a function of pH. Using both SERRS and visible extinction spectroscopy, the extent of CuChl adsorption and colloidal aggregation are monitored. Initially at…

Rapid identification of bacterial resistance to Ciprofloxacin using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Kastanos, Evdokia; Hadjigeorgiou, Katerina; Pitris, Costas

2014-02-01

Due to its effectiveness and broad coverage, Ciprofloxacin is the fifth most prescribed antibiotic in the US. As current methods of infection diagnosis and antibiotic sensitivity testing (i.e. an antibiogram) are very time consuming, physicians prescribe ciprofloxacin before obtaining antibiogram results. In order to avoid increasing resistance to the antibiotic, a method was developed to provide both a rapid diagnosis and the sensitivity to the antibiotic. Using Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy, an antibiogram was obtained after exposing the bacteria to Ciprofloxacin for just two hours. Spectral analysis revealed clear separation between sensitive and resistant bacteria and could also offer some inside into the mechanisms of resistance.

Tip Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of Rhodamine 6G on nanostructured gold substrate

KAUST Repository

Moretti, Manola

2015-05-01

A new concept based setup for Tip Enhanced Raman Scattering measurement assisted by gold nanostructure is presented, that can provide a platform for gap-mode enhancement of the signal at the single molecule level conjugated with controlled spatial localization of the molecule under investigation and a method to determine the diffraction limit properties of the tip. In essence, this effect is obtained illuminating a gold coated AFM tip which is raster scanned over a nanostructured gold substrate, after chemisorption of a Raman active molecule. We expect that the near-field Raman enhancement would be given by the gap-mode effect of the two facing nano-features. Thanks to the nanostructured substrate, we verify that the resolution of the Raman mapping signal is well below the diffraction limit given by the combination of the optics geometry and the laser wavelength. We show that the gap-mode TERS can generate an estimated field- enhancement (g) of ~20 in localized areas of the sample and we demonstrate the ability to spatially define the molecule position (by Raman mapping) at the tens of nanometers scale. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.

Tip Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of Rhodamine 6G on nanostructured gold substrate

KAUST Repository

Moretti, Manola; Das, Gobind; Torre, Bruno; Allione, Marco; Di Fabrizio, Enzo M.

2015-01-01

A new concept based setup for Tip Enhanced Raman Scattering measurement assisted by gold nanostructure is presented, that can provide a platform for gap-mode enhancement of the signal at the single molecule level conjugated with controlled spatial localization of the molecule under investigation and a method to determine the diffraction limit properties of the tip. In essence, this effect is obtained illuminating a gold coated AFM tip which is raster scanned over a nanostructured gold substrate, after chemisorption of a Raman active molecule. We expect that the near-field Raman enhancement would be given by the gap-mode effect of the two facing nano-features. Thanks to the nanostructured substrate, we verify that the resolution of the Raman mapping signal is well below the diffraction limit given by the combination of the optics geometry and the laser wavelength. We show that the gap-mode TERS can generate an estimated field- enhancement (g) of ~20 in localized areas of the sample and we demonstrate the ability to spatially define the molecule position (by Raman mapping) at the tens of nanometers scale. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.

Rapid Determination of Thiabendazole Pesticides in Rape by Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Lei; Dong, Tao; Nie, Pengcheng; Qu, Fangfang; He, Yong; Chu, Bingquan; Xiao, Shupei

2018-04-04

Thiabendazole is widely used in sclerotium blight, downy mildew and black rot prevention and treatment in rape. Accurate monitoring of thiabendazole pesticides in plants will prevent potential adverse effects to the Environment and human health. Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is a highly sensitive fingerprint with the advantages of simple operation, convenient portability and high detection efficiency. In this paper, a rapid determination method of thiabendazole pesticides in rape was conducted combining SERS with chemometric methods. The original SERS were pretreated and the partial least squares (PLS) was applied to establish the prediction model between SERS and thiabendazole pesticides in rape. As a result, the SERS enhancing effect based on silver Nano-substrate was better than that of gold Nano-substrate, where the detection limit of thiabendazole pesticides in rape could reach 0.1 mg/L. Moreover, 782, 1007 and 1576 cm −1 could be determined as thiabendazole pesticides Raman characteristic peaks in rape. The prediction effect of thiabendazole pesticides in rape was the best ( R p 2 = 0.94, RMSEP = 3.17 mg/L) after the original spectra preprocessed with 1st-Derivative, and the linear relevance between thiabendazole pesticides concentration and Raman peak intensity at 782 cm −1 was the highest ( R² = 0.91). Furthermore, five rape samples with unknown thiabendazole pesticides concentration were used to verify the accuracy and reliability of this method. It was showed that prediction relative standard deviation was 0.70–9.85%, recovery rate was 94.71–118.92% and t value was −1.489. In conclusion, the thiabendazole pesticides in rape could be rapidly and accurately detected by SERS, which was beneficial to provide a rapid, accurate and reliable scheme for the detection of pesticides residues in agriculture products.

Rapid Determination of Thiabendazole Pesticides in Rape by Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Lin

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Thiabendazole is widely used in sclerotium blight, downy mildew and black rot prevention and treatment in rape. Accurate monitoring of thiabendazole pesticides in plants will prevent potential adverse effects to the Environment and human health. Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS is a highly sensitive fingerprint with the advantages of simple operation, convenient portability and high detection efficiency. In this paper, a rapid determination method of thiabendazole pesticides in rape was conducted combining SERS with chemometric methods. The original SERS were pretreated and the partial least squares (PLS was applied to establish the prediction model between SERS and thiabendazole pesticides in rape. As a result, the SERS enhancing effect based on silver Nano-substrate was better than that of gold Nano-substrate, where the detection limit of thiabendazole pesticides in rape could reach 0.1 mg/L. Moreover, 782, 1007 and 1576 cm−1 could be determined as thiabendazole pesticides Raman characteristic peaks in rape. The prediction effect of thiabendazole pesticides in rape was the best ( R p 2 = 0.94, RMSEP = 3.17 mg/L after the original spectra preprocessed with 1st-Derivative, and the linear relevance between thiabendazole pesticides concentration and Raman peak intensity at 782 cm−1 was the highest (R2 = 0.91. Furthermore, five rape samples with unknown thiabendazole pesticides concentration were used to verify the accuracy and reliability of this method. It was showed that prediction relative standard deviation was 0.70–9.85%, recovery rate was 94.71–118.92% and t value was −1.489. In conclusion, the thiabendazole pesticides in rape could be rapidly and accurately detected by SERS, which was beneficial to provide a rapid, accurate and reliable scheme for the detection of pesticides residues in agriculture products.

Protein–nanoparticle interaction in bioconjugated silver nanoparticles: A transmission electron microscopy and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reymond-Laruinaz, Sébastien; Saviot, Lucien; Potin, Valérie; Marco de Lucas, María del Carmen, E-mail: delucas@u-bourgogne.fr

2016-12-15

Highlights: • Synthesis of protein-conjugated Ag nanoparticles (NPs) in absence of citrates. • NPs size and protein layer thickness determined by TEM. • SERS spectra showed the chemisorption of proteins on the surface of Ag-NPs. - Abstract: Understanding the mechanisms of interaction between proteins and noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) is crucial to extend the use of NPs in biological applications and nanomedicine. We report the synthesis of Ag-NPs:protein bioconjugates synthesized in total absence of citrates or other stabilizing agents in order to study the NP-protein interaction. Four common proteins (lysozyme, bovine serum albumin, cytochrome-C and hemoglobin) were used in this work. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) were mainly used to study these bioconjugated NPs. TEM images showed Ag NPs with sizes in the 5–40 nm range. The presence of a protein layer surrounding the Ag NPs was also observed by TEM. Moreover, the composition at different points of single bioconjugated NPs was probed by electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). The thickness of the protein layer varies in the 3–15 nm range and the Ag NPs are a few nanometers away. This allowed to obtain an enhancement of the Raman signal of the proteins in the analysis of water suspensions of bioconjugates. SERS results showed a broadening of the Raman bands of the proteins which we attribute to the contribution of different configurations of the proteins adsorbed on the Ag NPs surface. Moreover, the assignment of an intense and sharp peak in the low-frequency range to Ag–N vibrations points to the chemisorption of the proteins on the Ag-NPs surface.

Protein–nanoparticle interaction in bioconjugated silver nanoparticles: A transmission electron microscopy and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reymond-Laruinaz, Sébastien; Saviot, Lucien; Potin, Valérie; Marco de Lucas, María del Carmen

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Synthesis of protein-conjugated Ag nanoparticles (NPs) in absence of citrates. • NPs size and protein layer thickness determined by TEM. • SERS spectra showed the chemisorption of proteins on the surface of Ag-NPs. - Abstract: Understanding the mechanisms of interaction between proteins and noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) is crucial to extend the use of NPs in biological applications and nanomedicine. We report the synthesis of Ag-NPs:protein bioconjugates synthesized in total absence of citrates or other stabilizing agents in order to study the NP-protein interaction. Four common proteins (lysozyme, bovine serum albumin, cytochrome-C and hemoglobin) were used in this work. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) were mainly used to study these bioconjugated NPs. TEM images showed Ag NPs with sizes in the 5–40 nm range. The presence of a protein layer surrounding the Ag NPs was also observed by TEM. Moreover, the composition at different points of single bioconjugated NPs was probed by electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). The thickness of the protein layer varies in the 3–15 nm range and the Ag NPs are a few nanometers away. This allowed to obtain an enhancement of the Raman signal of the proteins in the analysis of water suspensions of bioconjugates. SERS results showed a broadening of the Raman bands of the proteins which we attribute to the contribution of different configurations of the proteins adsorbed on the Ag NPs surface. Moreover, the assignment of an intense and sharp peak in the low-frequency range to Ag–N vibrations points to the chemisorption of the proteins on the Ag-NPs surface.

Plasmonic nanoantenna arrays for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of lipid molecules embedded in a bilayer membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Kühler, Paul; Weber, Max; Lohmüller, Theobald

2014-06-25

We demonstrate a strategy for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) of supported lipid membranes with arrays of plasmonic nanoantennas. Colloidal lithography refined with plasma etching is used to synthesize arrays of triangular shaped gold nanoparticles. Reducing the separation distance between the triangle tips leads to plasmonic coupling and to a strong enhancement of the electromagnetic field in the nanotriangle gap. As a result, the Raman scattering intensity of molecules that are located at this plasmonic "hot-spot" can be increased by several orders of magnitude. The nanoantenna array is then embedded with a supported phospholipid membrane which is fluid at room temperature and spans the antenna gap. This configuration offers the advantage that molecules that are mobile within the bilayer membrane can enter the "hot-spot" region via diffusion and can therefore be measured by SERS without static entrapment or adsorption of the molecules to the antenna itself.

High-efficiency, 154  W CW, diode-pumped Raman fiber laser with brightness enhancement.

Science.gov (United States)

Glick, Yaakov; Fromzel, Viktor; Zhang, Jun; Ter-Gabrielyan, Nikolay; Dubinskii, Mark

2017-01-20

We demonstrate a high-power, high-efficiency Raman fiber laser pumped directly by laser diode modules at 978 nm. 154 W of CW power were obtained at a wavelength of 1023 nm with an optical to optical efficiency of 65%. A commercial graded-index (GRIN) core fiber acts as the Raman fiber in a power oscillator configuration, which includes spectral selection to prevent generation of the second Stokes. In addition, brightness enhancement of the pump beam by a factor of 8.4 is attained due to the Raman gain distribution profile in the GRIN fiber. To the best of our knowledge this is the highest power and highest efficiency Raman fiber laser demonstrated in any configuration allowing brightness enhancement (i.e., in either cladding-pumped configuration or with GRIN fibers, excluding step-index core pumped), regardless of pumping scheme (i.e., either diode pumped or fiber laser pumped).

A novel method for detection of phosphorylation in single cells by surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS using composite organic-inorganic nanoparticles (COINs.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine M Shachaf

Full Text Available Detection of single cell epitopes has been a mainstay of immunophenotyping for over three decades, primarily using fluorescence techniques for quantitation. Fluorescence has broad overlapping spectra, limiting multiplexing abilities.To expand upon current detection systems, we developed a novel method for multi-color immuno-detection in single cells using "Composite Organic-Inorganic Nanoparticles" (COINs Raman nanoparticles. COINs are Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS nanoparticles, with unique Raman spectra. To measure Raman spectra in single cells, we constructed an automated, compact, low noise and sensitive Raman microscopy device (Integrated Raman BioAnalyzer. Using this technology, we detected proteins expressed on the surface in single cells that distinguish T-cells among human blood cells. Finally, we measured intracellular phosphorylation of Stat1 (Y701 and Stat6 (Y641, with results comparable to flow cytometry.Thus, we have demonstrated the practicality of applying COIN nanoparticles for measuring intracellular phosphorylation, offering new possibilities to expand on the current fluorescent technology used for immunoassays in single cells.

A novel method for detection of phosphorylation in single cells by surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) using composite organic-inorganic nanoparticles (COINs).

Science.gov (United States)

Shachaf, Catherine M; Elchuri, Sailaja V; Koh, Ai Leen; Zhu, Jing; Nguyen, Lienchi N; Mitchell, Dennis J; Zhang, Jingwu; Swartz, Kenneth B; Sun, Lei; Chan, Selena; Sinclair, Robert; Nolan, Garry P

2009-01-01

Detection of single cell epitopes has been a mainstay of immunophenotyping for over three decades, primarily using fluorescence techniques for quantitation. Fluorescence has broad overlapping spectra, limiting multiplexing abilities. To expand upon current detection systems, we developed a novel method for multi-color immuno-detection in single cells using "Composite Organic-Inorganic Nanoparticles" (COINs) Raman nanoparticles. COINs are Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) nanoparticles, with unique Raman spectra. To measure Raman spectra in single cells, we constructed an automated, compact, low noise and sensitive Raman microscopy device (Integrated Raman BioAnalyzer). Using this technology, we detected proteins expressed on the surface in single cells that distinguish T-cells among human blood cells. Finally, we measured intracellular phosphorylation of Stat1 (Y701) and Stat6 (Y641), with results comparable to flow cytometry. Thus, we have demonstrated the practicality of applying COIN nanoparticles for measuring intracellular phosphorylation, offering new possibilities to expand on the current fluorescent technology used for immunoassays in single cells.

Superhydrophobic Ag decorated ZnO nanostructured thin film as effective surface enhanced Raman scattering substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Jayram, Naidu Dhanpal; Sonia, S.; Poongodi, S.; Kumar, P. Suresh; Masuda, Yoshitake; Mangalaraj, D.; Ponpandian, N.; Viswanathan, C.

2015-11-01

The present work is an attempt to overcome the challenges in the fabrication of super hydrophobic silver decorated zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructure thin films via thermal evaporation process. The ZnO nanowire thin films are prepared without any surface modification and show super hydrophobic nature with a contact angle of 163°. Silver is further deposited onto the ZnO nanowire to obtain nanoworm morphology. Silver decorated ZnO (Ag@ZnO) thin films are used as substrates for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) studies. The formation of randomly arranged nanowire and silver decorated nanoworm structure is confirmed using FESEM, HR-TEM and AFM analysis. Crystallinity and existence of Ag on ZnO are confirmed using XRD and XPS studies. A detailed growth mechanism is discussed for the formation of the nanowires from nanobeads based on various deposition times. The prepared SERS substrate reveals a reproducible enhancement of 3.082 × 107 M for Rhodamine 6G dye (R6G) for 10-10 molar concentration per liter. A higher order of SERS spectra is obtained for a contact angle of 155°. Thus the obtained thin films show the superhydrophobic nature with a highly enhanced Raman spectrum and act as SERS substrates. The present nanoworm morphology shows a new pathway for the construction of semiconductor thin films for plasmonic studies and challenges the orderly arranged ZnO nanorods, wires and other nano structure substrates used in SERS studies.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrate based on Ag-coated self-assembled polystyrene spheres

Science.gov (United States)

Mikac, Lara; Ivanda, Mile; Gotić, Marijan; Janicki, Vesna; Zorc, Hrvoje; Janči, Tibor; Vidaček, Sanja

2017-10-01

The silver (Ag) films were deposited on the monodispersed polystyrene spheres that were drop-coated on hydrophilic glass substrates in order to form a self-assembled 2D monolayer. Thus prepared Ag films over polystyrene nanospheres (AgFONs) were used to record the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of rhodamine 6G (R6G) and pyridine (λex = 514.5 nm). AgFONs were prepared by depositing 120, 180 and 240 nm thick Ag layer on the 1000 nm polystyrene spheres and 80, 120, 160 and 200 nm thick Ag layer on the 350 nm spheres as well as on their mixture (350 + 1000 nm). The silver was deposited by electron beam evaporation technique. The best enhancement of the Raman signal for both test molecules was obtained using 180 nm Ag film deposited on the 1000 nm spheres and using 80 nm Ag film deposited on the 350 nm polystyrene spheres. The lowest detectable concentrations of R6G and pyridine were 10-9 mol L-1 and 1.2 × 10-3 mol L-1, respectively. This study has shown that AgFONs could be regarded as good and reproducible SERS substrate for analytical detection of various organic molecules.

Comparative study of the endoscope-based bevelled and volume fiber-optic Raman probes for optical diagnosis of gastric dysplasia in vivo at endoscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jianfeng; Lin, Kan; Zheng, Wei; Ho, Khek Yu; Teh, Ming; Yeoh, Khay Guan; Huang, Zhiwei

2015-11-01

This study aims to compare the diagnostic performance of the two different endoscope-based fiber-optic Raman probe designs (i.e., bevelled and volume Raman probes) for real-time, in vivo detection of gastric dysplasia at endoscopy. To conduct the clinical comparison, a total of 1,050 in vivo tissue Raman spectra (normal: n = 864; dysplasia: n = 186) were acquired from 66 gastric patients (normal: n = 48; dysplasia: n = 18) by using bevelled Raman probe, while a total of 1,913 in vivo tissue Raman spectra (normal: n = 1,786; dysplasia: n = 127) were acquired from 98 gastric patients (normal: n = 87; dysplasia: n = 11) by using volume Raman probe. The bevelled Raman probe provides approximately twofold improvements in tissue Raman-to-autofluorescence intensity ratios as compared to the use of volume Raman probe. Partial least squares discriminant analysis together with leave-one patient-out cross-validation on in vivo tissue Raman spectra acquired yields a diagnostic accuracy of 93.0 % (sensitivity of 92.5 %; specificity of 93.1 %) for differentiating gastric dysplasia from normal gastric tissue by using the bevelled fiber-optic Raman probe, which is superior to the diagnostic performance (accuracy of 88.4 %; sensitivity of 85.8 %; specificity of 88.6 %) by using the volume Raman probe. This work demonstrates that the Raman spectroscopic technique coupled with bevelled fiber-optic Raman probe has great potential to enhance in vivo diagnosis of gastric precancer and early cancer at endoscopy. Graphical Abstract Comparison of in vivo gastric tissue Raman spectra acquired by using bevelled and volume fiber-optic Raman probes.

Water-induced morphology changes in an ultrathin silver film studied by ultraviolet-visible, surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xiaoling; Xu Weiqing; Jia Huiying; Wang Xu; Zhao Bing; Li Bofu; Ozaki, Yukihiro

2005-01-01

Water-induced changes in the morphology and optical properties of an ultrathin Ag film (3 nm thickness) have been studied by use of ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. A confocal micrograph shows that infinite regular Ag rings with almost uniform size (4 μm) emerge on the film surface after the ultrathin Ag film was immersed into water. The AFM measurement further confirms that the Ag rings consist of some metal holes with pillared edges. The UV-Vis spectrum shows that an absorption band at 486 nm of the Ag film after the immersion in water (I-Ag film) blue shifts by 66 nm with a significant decrease in absorbance, which is attributed to the macroscopic loss of some Ag atoms and the change in the morphology of the Ag film. The polarized UV-Vis spectra show that a band at 421 nm due to the normal component of the plasmon oscillation blue shifts after immersing the ultrathin Ag film into water. This band is found to be strongly angle-dependent for p-polarized light, indicating that the optical properties of the ultrathin Ag film are changed. The I-Ag film is SERS-active, and the SERS enhancement depends on different active sites on the film surface. Furthermore, it seems that the orientation of an adsorbate is related to the morphology of the I-Ag film

Fabrication of Annealed Gold Nanostructures on Pre-Treated Glow-Discharge Cleaned Glasses and Their Used for Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR and Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS Detection of Adsorbed (Biomolecules

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodica Elena Ionescu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Metallic nanoparticles are considered as active supports in the development of specific chemical or biological biosensors. Well-organized nanoparticles can be prepared either through expensive (e.g., electron beam lithography or inexpensive (e.g., thermal synthesis approaches where different shapes of nanoparticles are easily obtained over large solid surfaces. Herein, the authors propose a low-cost thermal synthesis of active plasmonic nanostructures on thin gold layers modified glass supports after 1 h holding on a hot plate (~350 °C. The resulted annealed nanoparticles proved a good reproducibility of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS optical responses and where used for the detection of low concentrations of two model (biochemical molecules, namely the human cytochrome b5 (Cyt-b5 and trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridylethylene (BPE.

The nature of chemisorbates formed from ammonia on gold and palladium electrodes as discerned from surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vooys, de A.C.A.; Mrozek, M.F.; Koper, M.T.M.; Santen, van R.A.; Veen, van J.A.R.; Weaver, M.J.

2001-01-01

The chemisorbates formed from ammonia-containing alkaline electrolyte on gold and palladium electrodes have been identified using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). On gold, a potential-dependent band at ca. 365-385 cm(-1) is observed, consistent with the metal-nitrogen stretch for

Improved surface-enhanced Raman scattering on arrays of gold quasi-3D nanoholes

KAUST Repository

Yue, Weisheng

2012-10-04

Arrays of gold quasi-3D nanoholes were proposed and fabricated as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). By detecting rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules, the gold quasi-3D nanoholes demonstrated an SERS intensity that was 25-62 times higher than that of two-dimensional nanoholes with the same geometrical shapes and periodicities. The larger SERS enhancement of the quasi-3D nanoholes is attributed to the enhanced electromagnetic field on the top-layer nanohole, the bottom nanodiscs and the field coupling between the two layers. In addition, the investigation of the shape dependence of the SERS on the quasi-3D nanoholes demonstrated that the quadratic, circular, triangular and rhombic holes exhibited different SERS properties. Numerical simulations of the electromagnetic properties on the nanostructures were performed with CST Microwave Studio, and the results agree with the experimental observations. © 2012 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Microwave assisted in situ synthesis of Ag–NaCMC films and their reproducible surface-enhanced Raman scattering signals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Tao; Li, Junpeng; Zhang, Li; Wang, Binbing; Zhou, Jun

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: Two kinds of Ag–NaCMC films for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) were prepared by conventional heating and microwave assisted in situ reduction methods without any additional capping or reducing agents. A relatively narrow and symmetric surface plasmon resonance band was observed in the absorption spectra of the films fabricated by the microwave assisted in situ reduction method. More uniform silver nanoparticles (NPs) implied by the symmetric absorption spectrum were further confirmed by the scanning electron microscopy images. After the simulation of the E-field intensity distribution around the silver NPs in NaCMC film, the Raman scattering enhancement factors (EFs) of these films were then investigated with 4-mercaptobenzoic acid molecule as a SERS reporter. Improved reproducibility of SERS signal was obtained in the microwave assisted synthesized Ag–NaCMC film, although it maintained an EF as only 1.11 × 10 8 . The reproducible SERS signal of the Ag–NaCMC film is particularly attractive and this microwave assisted in situ reduction method is suitable for the production of excellent substrate for biosensor application. - Highlights: • The synthesis of Ag–NaCMC films was successfully fulfilled by a low-cost microwave method. • More uniform silver nanoparticles were observed in Ag–NaCMC film synthesized by microwave. • Improved reproducibility of SERS signal was obtained in microwave synthesized Ag–NaCMC film. - Abstract: Two kinds of Ag–NaCMC films for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) were prepared by conventional heating and microwave assisted in situ reduction methods without any additional capping or reducing agents. A relatively narrow and symmetric surface plasmon resonance band was observed in the absorption spectra of the films fabricated by the microwave assisted in situ reduction method. More uniform silver nanoparticles (NPs) implied by the symmetric absorption spectrum were further confirmed by

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for uranium detection and analysis in environmental samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruan Chuanmin; Luo Wensui; Wang Wei; Gu Baohua

2007-01-01

Techniques for rapid screening of uranium in environmental samples are needed, and this study entails the development of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for analyzing uranium in aqueous media with improved sensitivity and reproducibility. A new SERS substrate based on (aminomethyl)phosphonic acid (APA)-modified gold nanoparticles was found to give greater than three orders of magnitude SERS enhancement compared with unmodified bare gold nanoparticles. Intensities of uranyl band at about 830 cm -1 were proportional to the concentrations of uranium in solution, especially at relatively low concentrations ( -5 M). A detection limit of ∼8 x 10 -7 M was achieved with a good reproducibility since the measurement was performed directly in dispersed aqueous suspension. Without pretreatment, the technique was successfully employed for detecting uranium in a highly contaminated groundwater with a low pH, high dissolved salts (e.g., nitrate, sulfate, calcium and aluminum) and total organic carbon

A simple way to synthesize large-scale Cu2O/Ag nanoflowers for ultrasensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Junyan; Song, Weijia; Xie, Weiguang; Huang, Bo; Yang, Huidong; Luo, Zhi

2018-03-01

Here, we report a simple strategy to prepare highly sensitive surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates based on Ag decorated Cu2O nanoparticles by combining two common techniques, viz, thermal oxidation growth of Cu2O nanoparticles and magnetron sputtering fabrication of a Ag nanoparticle film. Methylene blue is used as the Raman analyte for the SERS study, and the substrates fabricated under optimized conditions have very good sensitivity (analytical enhancement factor ˜108), stability, and reproducibility. A linear dependence of the SERS intensities with the concentration was obtained with an R 2 value >0.9. These excellent properties indicate that the substrate has great potential in the detection of biological and chemical substances.

An effective surface-enhanced Raman scattering template based on a Ag nanocluster-ZnO nanowire array

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, S; Zhang, X; Loh, K P; Fan, H M; Sow, C H; Cheng, C-L; Foo, Y L

2009-01-01

An effective surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) template based on a 3D hybrid Ag nanocluster (NC)-decorated ZnO nanowire array was fabricated through a simple process of depositing Ag NCs on ZnO nanowire arrays. The effects of particle size and excitation energy on the Raman scattering in these hybrid systems have been investigated using rhodamine 6G as a standard analyte. The results indicate that the hybrid nanosystem with 150 nm Ag NCs produces a larger SERS enhancement factor of 3.2 x 10 8 , which is much higher than that of 10 nm Ag NCs (6.0 x 10 6 ) under 532 nm excitation energy. The hybrid nanowire arrays were further applied to obtain SERS spectra of the two-photon absorption (TPA) chromophore T7. Finite-difference time-domain simulations reveal the presence of an enhanced field associated with inter-wire plasmon coupling of the 150 nm Ag NCs on adjacent ZnO nanowires; such a field was absent in the case of the 10 nm Ag NC-coated ZnO nanowire. Such hybrid nanosystems could be used as SERS substrates more effectively than assembled Ag NC film due to the enhanced light-scattering local field and the inter-wire plasmon-enhanced electromagnetic field.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of genomic DNA from in vitro grown tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cultivars before and after plant cryopreservation.

Science.gov (United States)

Muntean, Cristina M; Leopold, Nicolae; Tripon, Carmen; Coste, Ana; Halmagyi, Adela

2015-06-05

In this work the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of five genomic DNAs from non-cryopreserved control tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cultivars Siriana, Darsirius, Kristin, Pontica and Capriciu) respectively, have been analyzed in the wavenumber range 400-1800 cm(-1). Structural changes induced in genomic DNAs upon cryopreservation were discussed in detail for four of the above mentioned tomato cultivars. The surface-enhanced Raman vibrational modes for each of these cases, spectroscopic band assignments and structural interpretations of genomic DNAs are reported. We have found, that DNA isolated from Siriana cultivar leaf tissues suffers the weakest structural changes upon cryogenic storage of tomato shoot apices. On the contrary, genomic DNA extracted from Pontica cultivar is the most responsive system to cryopreservation process. Particularly, both C2'-endo-anti and C3'-endo-anti conformations have been detected. As a general observation, the wavenumber range 1511-1652 cm(-1), being due to dA, dG and dT residues seems to be influenced by cryopreservation process. These changes could reflect unstacking of DNA bases. However, not significant structural changes of genomic DNAs from Siriana, Darsirius and Kristin have been found upon cryopreservation process of tomato cultivars. Based on this work, specific plant DNA-ligand interactions or accurate local structure of DNA in the proximity of a metallic surface, might be further investigated using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sensitive molecular diagnostics using surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS)

Science.gov (United States)

Faulds, Karen; Graham, Duncan; McKenzie, Fiona; MacRae, Douglas; Ricketts, Alastair; Dougan, Jennifer

2009-02-01

Surface enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) is an analytical technique with several advantages over competitive techniques in terms of improved sensitivity and multiplexing. We have made great progress in the development of SERRS as a quantitative analytical method, in particular for the detection of DNA. SERRS is an extremely sensitive and selective technique which when applied to the detection of labelled DNA sequences allows detection limits to be obtained which rival, and in most cases, are better than fluorescence. Here the conditions are explored which will enable the successful detection of DNA using SERRS. The enhancing surface which is used is crucial and in this case suspensions of nanoparticles were used as they allow quantitative behaviour to be achieved and allow analogous systems to current fluorescence based systems to be made. The aggregation conditions required to obtain SERRS of DNA are crucial and herein we describe the use of spermine as an aggregating agent. The nature of the label which is used, be it fluorescent, positively or negatively charged also effects the SERRS response and these conditions are again explored here. We have clearly demonstrated the ability to identify the components of a mixture of 5 analytes in solution by using two different excitation wavelengths and also of a 6-plex using data analysis techniques. These conditions will allow the use of SERRS for the detection of target DNA in a meaningful diagnostic assay.

Raman investigation of GaP–Si interfaces grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bondi, A.; Cornet, C.; Boyer, S.; Nguyen Thanh, T.; Létoublon, A.; Pedesseau, L.; Durand, O. [Université Européenne de Bretagne, INSA, FOTON, UMR CNRS 6082, 20 Avenue des Buttes de Coësmes, F-35708 Rennes (France); Moreac, A. [Institut de Physique de Rennes, UMR-CNRS n°6251, Université Rennes1, Campus de Beaulieu — 35042 Rennes cedex (France); Ponchet, A. [CEMES, UPR CNRS 8011, F-31055 Toulouse (France); Le Corre, A. [Université Européenne de Bretagne, INSA, FOTON, UMR CNRS 6082, 20 Avenue des Buttes de Coësmes, F-35708 Rennes (France); Even, J., E-mail: jacky.even@insa.rennes.fr [Université Européenne de Bretagne, INSA, FOTON, UMR CNRS 6082, 20 Avenue des Buttes de Coësmes, F-35708 Rennes (France)

2013-08-31

Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate the residual strain in thin GaP layers deposited on Si substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. Different growth conditions were used to obtain a clean GaP–Si interface, including migration enhanced epitaxy. The strain induced Raman shifts of the longitudinal and the transverse optical GaP lattice modes were analyzed. The effects of crystalline defects are discussed, supported by high resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray scattering studies. Finally, Raman Spectroscopy reveals the presence of disorder (or surface)-activated optical phonons. This result is discussed in the light of surface morphology analyses. - Highlights: ► GaP thin layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy on Si substrates. ► Strain-induced Raman shifts of the optical GaP modes are analyzed. ► Simulation of optical GaP modes by density functional perturbation theory. ► Comparison with X-ray diffraction and electron and scanning probe microscopy data.

Unraveling the Raman Enhancement Mechanism on 1T'-Phase ReS2 Nanosheets.

Science.gov (United States)

Miao, Peng; Qin, Jing-Kai; Shen, Yunfeng; Su, Huimin; Dai, Junfeng; Song, Bo; Du, Yunchen; Sun, Mengtao; Zhang, Wei; Wang, Hsing-Lin; Xu, Cheng-Yan; Xu, Ping

2018-04-01

2D transition metal dichalcogenides materials are explored as potential surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrates. Herein, a systematic study of the Raman enhancement mechanism on distorted 1T (1T') rhenium disulfide (ReS 2 ) nanosheets is demonstrated. Combined Raman and photoluminescence studies with the introduction of an Al 2 O 3 dielectric layer unambiguously reveal that Raman enhancement on ReS 2 materials is from a charge transfer process rather than from an energy transfer process, and Raman enhancement is inversely proportional while the photoluminescence quenching effect is proportional to the layer number (thickness) of ReS 2 nanosheets. On monolayer ReS 2 film, a strong resonance-enhanced Raman scattering effect dependent on the laser excitation energy is detected, and a detection limit as low as 10 -9 m can be reached from the studied dye molecules such as rhodamine 6G and methylene blue. Such a high enhancement factor achieved through enhanced charge interaction between target molecule and substrate suggests that with careful consideration of the layer-number-dependent feature and excitation-energy-related resonance effect, ReS 2 is a promising Raman enhancement platform for sensing applications. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Potential drug – nanosensor conjugates: Raman, infrared absorption, surface – enhanced Raman, and density functional theory investigations of indolic molecules

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pięta, Ewa, E-mail: Ewa.Pieta@ifj.edu.pl [Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, PL-31342 Krakow (Poland); Paluszkiewicz, Czesława [Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, PL-31342 Krakow (Poland); Oćwieja, Magdalena [J. Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, PL-30239 Krakow (Poland); Kwiatek, Wojciech M. [Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, PL-31342 Krakow (Poland)

2017-05-15

Highlights: • Molecular fragments involved in the adsorption process were determined. • Formation of hydrogen bonds with the negatively charged gold substrates was observed. • Indole moiety strongly interacts with gold nanosensors. • The synthesized sensors are characterized by high stability and reproducibility. • Chemical mechanism plays a crucial role in the enhancement of the Raman signal. - Abstract: An extremely important aspect of planning cancer treatment is not only the drug efficiency but also a number of challenges associated with the side effects and control of this process. That is why it is worth paying attention to the promising potential of the gold nanoparticles combined with a compound treated as a potential drug. This work presents Raman (RS), infrared absorption (IR) and surface–enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopic investigations of N–acetyl–5–methoxytryptamine (melatonin) and α–methyl–DL–tryptophan, regarding as anti breast cancer agents. The experimental spectroscopic analysis was supported by the quantum-chemical calculations based on the B3LYP hybrid density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP 6–311G(d,p) level of theory. The studied compounds were adsorbed onto two colloidal gold nanosensors synthesized by a chemical reduction method using sodium borohydride (SB) and trisodium citrate (TC), respectively. Its morphology characteristics were obtained using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It has been suggested that the NH moiety from the aromatic ring, a well-known proton donor, causes the formation of hydrogen bonds with the negatively charged gold surface.

Detection of bacterial metabolites through dynamic acquisition from surface enhanced raman spectroscopy substrates integtrated in a centrifugal microfluidic platform

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Durucan, Onur; Morelli, Lidia; Schmidt, Michael Stenbæk

2015-01-01

In this work we present a novel technology that combines the advantages of centrifugal microfluidics with dynamic in-situ Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) sensing. Our technology is based on an automated readout system that allows on-line SERS acquisition on a rotating centrifugal...

Interference-free optical detection for Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, David G (Inventor); Kojima, Jun (Inventor); Nguyen, Quang-Viet (Inventor)

2012-01-01

An architecture for spontaneous Raman scattering (SRS) that utilizes a frame-transfer charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor operating in a subframe burst gating mode to realize time-resolved combustion diagnostics is disclosed. The technique permits all-electronic optical gating with microsecond shutter speeds (<5 .mu.s), without compromising optical throughput or image fidelity. When used in conjunction with a pair of orthogonally-polarized excitation lasers, the technique measures time-resolved vibrational Raman scattering that is minimally contaminated by problematic optical background noise.

Gold nanoparticles assisted surface enhanced Raman scattering and luminescence of Er{sup 3+} doped zinc–sodium tellurite glass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghoshal, S.K.; Awang, Asmahani, E-mail: asmahani_awang@yahoo.com; Sahar, M.R.; Arifin, R.

2015-03-15

Significant enhancements in Er{sup 3+} luminescence and Raman intensity mediated via surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) embedded zinc–sodium tellurite glass are reported. The observed modifications in the physical and spectroscopic properties are ascribed to the alterations in the glass network. XRD pattern confirms the amorphous nature of prepared glass sample. UV–vis-NIR spectra reveal seven absorption bands. Surface plasmon band is evidenced around 626–630 nm. TEM images manifest the growth of non-spherical Au NPs with average diameter between ∼7.2 nm and 8.6 nm. The visible up-conversion (UC) emission for all samples under 779 nm excitation exhibits three bands centered at 503 nm (green), 546 (green) and 637 nm (red) ascribed to {sup 2}H{sub 11/2}→{sup 4}I{sub 15/2}, {sup 4}S{sub 3/2}→{sup 4}I{sub 15/2} and {sup 4}F{sub 9/2}→{sup 4}I{sub 15/2} transitions. Glass sample with 0.4 mol% Au displaying the highest luminescence intensity with enhancement factor of 3.85 and 3.56 for green bands, and 7.61 for the red band is ascribed to the NPs local field enhancement and energy transfer between rare earth (RE) ions and NPs. FTIR spectra show the vibration of ZnO{sub 4} bonds, Te-O bond in TeO{sub 3} (tp) and TeO{sub 4} (tbp) units and the hydroxyl groups. Raman spectra demonstrate the presence of Er-O and Zn-O bond, anti-symmetric vibrations of Te-O-Te bonds and stretching modes of non-bonded oxygen exists in TeO{sub 3} and TeO{sub 3+1} unit. The amplifications in Raman signals by a factor of 1.62, 1.58, 1.64, 1.68 and 1.69 corresponding to the peak centered at 262 cm{sup −1}, 382 cm{sup −1}, 521 cm{sup −1}, 670 cm{sup −1} and 725 cm{sup −1} are attributed to the contribution of a surface plasmon generating a strong, localized and secondary field. We assert that our glass compositions offer favorable potential to develop solid state lasers and other versatile nanophotonic devices. - Highlights: • Gold

Comparison of time-gated surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TG-SERS) and classical SERS based monitoring of Escherichia coli cultivation samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Kögler, Martin; Paul, Andrea; Anane, Emmanuel; Birkholz, Mario; Bunker, Alex; Viitala, Tapani; Maiwald, Michael; Junne, Stefan; Neubauer, Peter

2018-06-08

The application of Raman spectroscopy as a monitoring technique for bioprocesses is severely limited by a large background signal originating from fluorescing compounds in the culture media. Here we compare time-gated Raman (TG-Raman)-, continuous wave NIR-process Raman (NIR-Raman) and continuous wave micro-Raman (micro-Raman) approaches in combination with surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for their potential to overcome this limit. For that purpose, we monitored metabolite concentrations of Escherichia coli bioreactor cultivations in cell-free supernatant samples. We investigated concentration transients of glucose, acetate, AMP and cAMP at alternating substrate availability, from deficiency to excess. Raman and SERS signals were compared to off-line metabolite analysis of carbohydrates, carboxylic acids and nucleotides. Results demonstrate that SERS, in almost all cases, led to a higher number of identifiable signals and better resolved spectra. Spectra derived from the TG-Raman were comparable to those of micro-Raman resulting in well-discernable Raman peaks, which allowed for the identification of a higher number of compounds. In contrast, NIR-Raman provided a superior performance for the quantitative evaluation of analytes, both with and without SERS nanoparticles when using multivariate data analysis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Tip-Enhanced Raman Scattering Microscopy: A Step toward Nanoscale Control of Intrinsic Molecular Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Yano, Taka-aki; Hara, Masahiko

2018-06-01

Tip-enhanced Raman scattering microscopy, a family of scanning probe microscopy techniques, has been recognized as a powerful surface analytical technique with both single-molecule sensitivity and angstrom-scale spatial resolution. This review covers the current status of tip-enhanced Raman scattering microscopy in surface and material nanosciences, including a brief history, the basic principles, and applications for the nanoscale characterization of a variety of nanomaterials. The focus is on the recent trend of combining tip-enhanced Raman scattering microscopy with various external stimuli such as pressure, voltage, light, and temperature, which enables the local control of the molecular properties and functions and also enables chemical reactions to be induced on a nanometer scale.

Graphene Dendrimer-stabilized silver nanoparticles for detection of methimazole using Surface-enhanced Raman scattering with computational assignment

Science.gov (United States)

Saleh, Tawfik A.; Al-Shalalfeh, Mutasem M.; Al-Saadi, Abdulaziz A.

2016-08-01

Graphene functionalized with polyamidoamine dendrimer, decorated with silver nanoparticles (G-D-Ag), was synthesized and evaluated as a substrate with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for methimazole (MTZ) detection. Sodium borohydride was used as a reducing agent to cultivate silver nanoparticles on the dendrimer. The obtained G-D-Ag was characterized by using UV-vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier-transformed infrared (FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopy. The SEM image indicated the successful formation of the G-D-Ag. The behavior of MTZ on the G-D-Ag as a reliable and robust substrate was investigated by SERS, which indicated mostly a chemical interaction between G-D-Ag and MTZ. The bands of the MTZ normal spectra at 1538, 1463, 1342, 1278, 1156, 1092, 1016, 600, 525 and 410 cm-1 were enhanced due to the SERS effect. Correlations between the logarithmical scale of MTZ concentrations and SERS signal intensities were established, and a low detection limit of 1.43 × 10-12 M was successfully obtained. The density functional theory (DFT) approach was utilized to provide reliable assignment of the key Raman bands.

Raman Spectroscopy of Optically Trapped Single Biological Micro-Particles

Science.gov (United States)

Redding, Brandon; Schwab, Mark J.; Pan, Yong-le

2015-01-01

The combination of optical trapping with Raman spectroscopy provides a powerful method for the study, characterization, and identification of biological micro-particles. In essence, optical trapping helps to overcome the limitation imposed by the relative inefficiency of the Raman scattering process. This allows Raman spectroscopy to be applied to individual biological particles in air and in liquid, providing the potential for particle identification with high specificity, longitudinal studies of changes in particle composition, and characterization of the heterogeneity of individual particles in a population. In this review, we introduce the techniques used to integrate Raman spectroscopy with optical trapping in order to study individual biological particles in liquid and air. We then provide an overview of some of the most promising applications of this technique, highlighting the unique types of measurements enabled by the combination of Raman spectroscopy with optical trapping. Finally, we present a brief discussion of future research directions in the field. PMID:26247952

Morphology modification of gold nanoparticles from nanoshell to C-shape: Improved surface enhanced Raman scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xing, Ting-Yang; Zhu, Jian; Li, Jian-Jun; Zhao, Jun-Wu

2016-01-01

Morphology modification of nanostructures is of great interest, because it can be used to fabricate nanostructures which are hard to be done using other methods. Different from traditional lithographic technique which is slow and expensive, morphology modification is easy, cheap, and reproducible. In this paper, modification of the optical and morphological properties of a hollow gold nanoshell (HGNS) is achieved by using H 2 O 2 as an oxidizer. The reshaping of these nanostructures has been demonstrated as a consequence of an oxidation process in which HGNSs are dissolved by H 2 O 2 under the acidic conditions provided by HCl. We investigate the oxidation process by a transmission electron microscope and propose a reshaping model involving four different shapes (HGNS, HGNS with hole, gold nanoring, and C-shaped gold nanoparticle) which are corresponding to the oxidation products of HGNSs at different pH values. Besides, the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity of each oxidation product has been evaluated by using rhodamine 6G as the Raman active probe. It has been observed that the C-shaped gold nanoparticles which are corresponding to the oxidation products at the minimum pH value have the highest SERS activity and this result can also be interpreted by discrete-dipole approximation simulations. We demonstrate that the morphology modification of HGNSs becomes possible in a controlled manner using wet chemistry and can be used in preparation of gold nanoparticles such as HGNS with hole, gold nanoring, and C-shaped gold nanoparticle with large SERS activity. These nanostructures must have potential use in many plasmonic areas, including sensing, catalysis, and biomedicine.

Morphology modification of gold nanoparticles from nanoshell to C-shape: Improved surface enhanced Raman scattering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xing, Ting-Yang; Zhu, Jian; Li, Jian-Jun; Zhao, Jun-Wu, E-mail: nanoptzhao@163.com [The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China)

2016-06-28

Morphology modification of nanostructures is of great interest, because it can be used to fabricate nanostructures which are hard to be done using other methods. Different from traditional lithographic technique which is slow and expensive, morphology modification is easy, cheap, and reproducible. In this paper, modification of the optical and morphological properties of a hollow gold nanoshell (HGNS) is achieved by using H{sub 2}O{sub 2} as an oxidizer. The reshaping of these nanostructures has been demonstrated as a consequence of an oxidation process in which HGNSs are dissolved by H{sub 2}O{sub 2} under the acidic conditions provided by HCl. We investigate the oxidation process by a transmission electron microscope and propose a reshaping model involving four different shapes (HGNS, HGNS with hole, gold nanoring, and C-shaped gold nanoparticle) which are corresponding to the oxidation products of HGNSs at different pH values. Besides, the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity of each oxidation product has been evaluated by using rhodamine 6G as the Raman active probe. It has been observed that the C-shaped gold nanoparticles which are corresponding to the oxidation products at the minimum pH value have the highest SERS activity and this result can also be interpreted by discrete-dipole approximation simulations. We demonstrate that the morphology modification of HGNSs becomes possible in a controlled manner using wet chemistry and can be used in preparation of gold nanoparticles such as HGNS with hole, gold nanoring, and C-shaped gold nanoparticle with large SERS activity. These nanostructures must have potential use in many plasmonic areas, including sensing, catalysis, and biomedicine.

Multifunctional porous silicon nanopillar arrays: antireflection, superhydrophobicity, photoluminescence, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiraly, Brian; Yang, Shikuan; Huang, Tony Jun

2013-01-01

We have fabricated porous silicon nanopillar arrays over large areas with a rapid, simple, and low-cost technique. The porous silicon nanopillars show unique longitudinal features along their entire length and have porosity with dimensions on the single-nanometer scale. Both Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence data were used to determine the nanocrystallite size to be <3 nm. The porous silicon nanopillar arrays also maintained excellent ensemble properties, reducing reflection nearly fivefold from planar silicon in the visible range without any optimization, and approaching superhydrophobic behavior with increasing aspect ratio, demonstrating contact angles up to 138°. Finally, the porous silicon nanopillar arrays were made into sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates by depositing metal onto the pillars. The SERS performance of the substrates was demonstrated using a chemical dye Rhodamine 6G. With their multitude of properties (i.e., antireflection, superhydrophobicity, photoluminescence, and sensitive SERS), the porous silicon nanopillar arrays described here can be valuable in applications such as solar harvesting, electrochemical cells, self-cleaning devices, and dynamic biological monitoring. (paper)

Fabrication of large area nanoprism arrays and their application for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui, B; Clime, L; Li, K; Veres, T

2008-01-01

This work demonstrates the fabrication of metallic nanoprism (triangular nanostructure) arrays using a low-cost and high-throughput process. In the method, the triangular structure is defined by the shadow of a pyramid during angle evaporation of a metal etching mask. The pyramids were created by nanoimprint lithography in polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) using a mould having an inverse-pyramid-shaped hole array formed by KOH wet etching of silicon. Silver and gold nanoprism arrays with a period of 200 nm and an edge length of 100 nm have been fabricated and used as effective substrates for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) detection of rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules. Numerical calculations confirmed the great enhancement of electric field near the sharp nanoprism corners, as well as the detrimental effect of the chromium adhesion layer on localized surface plasmon resonance. The current method can also be used to fabricate non-equilateral nanoprism and three-dimensional (3D) nanopyramid arrays, and it can be readily extended to other metals

Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering of MEH-PPV on Gold and Silver Nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beatriz R. Moraes

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The interaction of poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV with Au or Ag nanospheres, Au nanostars, and Ag nanoprisms was investigated using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS. The SERS investigation showed that adsorption of MEH-PPV strongly depends on the nature of the nanoparticle surface. On gold nanostars that present a thick layer of capping polymer, SERS spectrum is only observed in relatively concentrated MEH-PPV solution (1 mmol L−1. On the other hand, Au and Ag nanospheres present SERS spectra down to 10−6 mol L−1 and no chemical interaction of MEH-PPV and metal surface is observed. The spectra of MEH-PPV on Ag nanoprisms with PVP as stabilizing agent suggest that the capping polymer induces a planar conformation of MEH-PPV and consequently an increase of conjugation length. These results give support for the application of MEH-PPV on optoelectronics in which interfacial effects are critical in the device efficiency and stability.

Polarization Dependence of Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering on a Single Dielectric Nanowire

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hua Qi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Our measurements of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS on Ga2O3 dielectric nanowires (NWs core/silver composites indicate that the SERS enhancement is highly dependent on the polarization direction of the incident laser light. The polarization dependence of the SERS signal with respect to the direction of a single NW was studied by changing the incident light angle. Further investigations demonstrate that the SERS intensity is not only dependent on the direction and wavelength of the incident light, but also on the species of the SERS active molecule. The largest signals were observed on an NW when the incident 514.5 nm light was polarized perpendicular to the length of the NW, while the opposite phenomenon was observed at the wavelength of 785 nm. Our theoretical simulations of the polarization dependence at 514.5 nm and 785 nm are in good agreement with the experimental results.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy for Uranium Detection and Analysis in Environmental Samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruan, Chuanmin; Luo, Wensui; Wang, Wei; Gu, Baohua

2007-01-01

Techniques for rapid screening of uranium in environmental samples are needed, and this study entails the development of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for analyzing uranium in aqueous media with improved sensitivity and reproducibility. A new SERS substrate based on (aminomethyl)phosphonic acid (APA)-modified gold nanoparticles was found to give greater than three orders of magnitude SERS enhancement compared with unmodified bare gold nanoparticles. Intensities of uranyl band at about 830 cm-1 were proportional to the concentrations of uranium in solution, especially at relatively low concentrations (<10-5 M). A detection limit of ∼8 e10-7 M was achieved with a good reproducibility since the measurement was performed directly in dispersed aqueous suspension. Without pretreatment, the technique was successfully employed for the detection of uranium in a highly contaminated groundwater with a low pH, high dissolved salts (e.g., nitrate, sulfate, calcium and aluminum) and total organic carbon

Rapid, green synthesis and surface-enhanced Raman scattering effect of single-crystal silver nanocubes

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Aiqin; Jin, Xia; Gu, Xiaolong; Wei, Xiaoqing; Yang, Guojing

2012-08-01

Single-crystal silver (Ag) nanocubes have been synthesized by a rapid and green method at room temperature by adding sodium hydroxide solution to the mixed solutions of silver nitrate, glucose and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV-visible) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the phase composition and morphology. The results showed that the as-prepared particles were single-crystal Ag nanocubes with edge lengths of around 77 nm and a growing direction along {1 0 0} facets. As substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) experiment on crystal violet (CV), the SERS enhancement factor of the as-prepared Ag nanocubes were measured to be 5.5 × 104, indicating potential applications in chemical and biological analysis.

Raman Probe Based on Optically-Poled Double-Core Fiber

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brunetti, Anna Chiara; Margulis, Walter; Rottwitt, Karsten

2012-01-01

A Raman probe based on an optically-poled double-core fiber. In-fiber SHG allows for Raman spectroscopy of DMSO at 532nm when illuminating the fiber with 1064nm light. The fiber structure provides independent excitation and collection paths.......A Raman probe based on an optically-poled double-core fiber. In-fiber SHG allows for Raman spectroscopy of DMSO at 532nm when illuminating the fiber with 1064nm light. The fiber structure provides independent excitation and collection paths....

Achieving Very Low Levels of Detection: An Improved Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Experiment for the Physical Chemistry Teaching Laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

McMillan, Brian G.

2016-01-01

This experiment was designed and successfully introduced to complement the nanochemistry taught to undergraduate students in a useful and interesting way. Colloidal Ag nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple, room-temperature method, and the resulting suspension was then used to study the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of methylene…

Diterpenoic acids analysis using a coupled TLC-surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Orinak, A.; Talian, I.; Efremov, E.V.; Ariese, F.; Oriaakova, R.

2008-01-01

Hyphenation of thin layer chromatography (TLC) with surface-based spectral methods requires a homogeneous surface for direct and quantitative analysis on the chromatographic plate after separation. Since most chromatographic materials do not produce strong background signals in Raman spectroscopy

Growth graphene on silver-copper nanoparticles by chemical vapor deposition for high-performance surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiumei; Xu, Shicai; Jiang, Shouzhen; Wang, Jihua; Wei, Jie; Xu, Shida; Gao, Shoubao; Liu, Hanping; Qiu, Hengwei; Li, Zhen; Liu, Huilan; Li, Zhenhua; Li, Hongsheng

2015-10-01

We present a graphene/silver-copper nanoparticle hybrid system (G/SCNPs) to be used as a high-performance surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate. The silver-copper nanoparticles wrapped by a monolayer graphene layer are directly synthesized on SiO2/Si substrate by chemical vapor deposition in a mixture of methane and hydrogen. The G/SCNPs shows excellent SERS enhancement activity and high reproducibility. The minimum detected concentration of R6G is as low as 10-10 M and the calibration curve shows a good linear response from 10-6 to 10-10 M. The date fluctuations from 20 positions of one SERS substrate are less than 8% and from 20 different substrates are less than 10%. The high reproducibility of the enhanced Raman signals could be due to the presence of an ultrathin graphene layer and uniform morphology of silver-copper nanoparticles. The use of G/SCNPs for detection of nucleosides extracted from human urine demonstrates great potential for the practical applications on a variety of detection in medicine and biotechnology field.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering of the adsorption of pesticide endosulfan on gold nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández-Castillo, M I; Zaca-Morán, O; Zaca-Morán, P; Orduña-Diaz, A; Delgado-Macuil, R; Rojas-López, M

2015-01-01

The absorption of pesticide endosulfan on the surface of gold nanoparticles results from the formation of micrometric structures (1-10 μm) with irregular shape because of the aggregation of individual particles. Such aggregation of gold nanoparticles after absorption of pesticide shows a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectrum, whose intensity depends on the concentration of endosulfan. In addition, the discoloration of the colloidal solution and a diminishing of the intensity of the surface plasmon resonance absorption from individual particles were observed by UV-visible spectroscopy. At the same time, a second band between 638 and 700 nm confirms the formation of aggregates of gold nanoparticles as the concentration of endosulfan increases. Finally, we used the SERS intensity of the S-O stretching vibration at 1239 cm(-1) from the SO3 group as a measure of concentration of pesticide endosulfan. This method could be used to estimate the level of pollution in water by endosulfan in a simple and practical form.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) for Detection in Immunoassays: applications, fundamentals, and optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeremy Daniel Driskell

2006-01-01

Immunoassays have been utilized for the detection of biological analytes for several decades. Many formats and detection strategies have been explored, each having unique advantages and disadvantages. More recently, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been introduced as a readout method for immunoassays, and has shown great potential to meet many key analytical figures of merit. This technology is in its infancy and this dissertation explores the diversity of this method as well as the mechanism responsible for surface enhancement. Approaches to reduce assay times are also investigated. Implementing the knowledge gained from these studies will lead to a more sensitive immunoassay requiring less time than its predecessors. This dissertation is organized into six sections. The first section includes a literature review of the previous work that led to this dissertation. A general overview of the different approaches to immunoassays is given, outlining the strengths and weaknesses of each. Included is a detailed review of binding kinetics, which is central for decreasing assay times. Next, the theoretical underpinnings of SERS is reviewed at its current level of understanding. Past work has argued that surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of the enhancing substrate influences the SERS signal; therefore, the SPR of the extrinsic Raman labels (ERLs) utilized in our SERS-based immunoassay is discussed. Four original research chapters follow the Introduction, each presented as separate manuscripts. Chapter 2 modifies a SERS-based immunoassay previously developed in our group, extending it to the low-level detection of viral pathogens and demonstrating its versatility in terms of analyte type, Chapter 3 investigates the influence of ERL size, material composition, and separation distance between the ERLs and capture substrate on the SERS signal. This chapter links SPR with SERS enhancement factors and is consistent with many of the results from theoretical treatments

Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) for Detection in Immunoassays. Applications, fundamentals, and optimization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Driskell, Jeremy Daniel [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2006-08-09

Immunoassays have been utilized for the detection of biological analytes for several decades. Many formats and detection strategies have been explored, each having unique advantages and disadvantages. More recently, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been introduced as a readout method for immunoassays, and has shown great potential to meet many key analytical figures of merit. This technology is in its infancy and this dissertation explores the diversity of this method as well as the mechanism responsible for surface enhancement. Approaches to reduce assay times are also investigated. Implementing the knowledge gained from these studies will lead to a more sensitive immunoassay requiring less time than its predecessors. This dissertation is organized into six sections. The first section includes a literature review of the previous work that led to this dissertation. A general overview of the different approaches to immunoassays is given, outlining the strengths and weaknesses of each. Included is a detailed review of binding kinetics, which is central for decreasing assay times. Next, the theoretical underpinnings of SERS is reviewed at its current level of understanding. Past work has argued that surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of the enhancing substrate influences the SERS signal; therefore, the SPR of the extrinsic Raman labels (ERLs) utilized in our SERS-based immunoassay is discussed. Four original research chapters follow the Introduction, each presented as separate manuscripts. Chapter 2 modifies a SERS-based immunoassay previously developed in our group, extending it to the low-level detection of viral pathogens and demonstrating its versatility in terms of analyte type, Chapter 3 investigates the influence of ERL size, material composition, and separation distance between the ERLs and capture substrate on the SERS signal. This chapter links SPR with SERS enhancement factors and is consistent with many of the results from theoretical treatments

Cones fabricated by 3D nanoimprint lithography for highly sensitive surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Wei; Hu Min; Ou Fungsuong; Li Zhiyong; Williams, R Stanley

2010-01-01

We demonstrated a cost-effective and deterministic method of patterning 3D cone arrays over a large area by using nanoimprint lithography (NIL). Cones with tip radius of less than 10 nm were successfully duplicated onto the UV-curable imprint resist materials from the silicon cone templates. Such cone structures were shown to be a versatile platform for developing reliable, highly sensitive surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates. In contrast to the silicon nanocones, the SERS substrates based on the Au coated cones made by the NIL offered significant improvement of the SERS signal. A further improvement of the SERS signal was observed when the polymer cones were imprinted onto a reflective metallic mirror surface. A sub-zeptomole detection sensitivity for a model molecule, trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)-ethylene (BPE), on the Au coated NIL cone surfaces was achieved.

Magnetically Assisted Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy for the Detection of Staphylococcus aureus Based on Aptamer Recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Junfeng; Wu, Xuezhong; Wang, Chongwen; Shao, Ningsheng; Dong, Peitao; Xiao, Rui; Wang, Shengqi

2015-09-23

A magnetically assisted surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) biosensor for single-cell detection of S. aureus on the basis of aptamer recognition is reported for the first time. The biosensor consists of two basic elements including a SERS substrate (Ag-coated magnetic nanoparticles, AgMNPs) and a novel SERS tag (AuNR-DTNB@Ag-DTNB core-shell plasmonic NPs or DTNB-labeled inside-and-outside plasmonic NPs, DioPNPs). Uniform, monodisperse, and superparamagnetic AgMNPs with favorable SERS activity and magnetic responsiveness are synthesized by using polymer polyethylenimine. AgMNPs use magnetic enrichment instead of repeated centrifugation to prevent sample sedimentation. DioPNPs are designed and synthesized as a novel SERS tag. The Raman signal of DioPNPs is 10 times stronger than that of the commonly used SERS tag AuNR-DTNB because of the double-layer DTNB and the LSPR position adjustment to match the given laser excitation wavelength. Consequently, a strong SERS enhancement is achieved. Under the optimized aptamer density and linker length, capture by aptamer-modified AgMNPs can achieve favorable bacteria arrest (up to 75%). With the conventional Raman spectroscopy, the limit of detection (LOD) is 10 cells/mL for S. aureus detection, and a good linear relationship is also observed between the SERS intensity at Raman peak 1331 cm(-1) and the logarithm of bacteria concentrations ranging from 10(1) to 10(5) cells/mL. With the help of the newly developed SERS mapping technique, single-cell detection of S. aureus is easily achieved.

Application of silver films with different roughness parameter for septic human serum albumin detection by Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Zyubin, A. Y.; Konstantinova, E. I.; Matveeva, K. I.; Slezhkin, V. A.; Samusev, I. G.; Demin, M. V.; Bryukhanov, V. V.

2018-01-01

In this paper, the rough silver films parameters investigation, used as media for surface enhancement Raman spectroscopy for health and septic human serum albumin (HSA) study results have been presented. The detection of small concentrations of HSA isolated from blood serum and it main vibrational groups identification has been done.

Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering for Quantification of p-Coumaric Acid Produced by Escherichia coli

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Morelli, Lidia; Zor, Kinga; Jendresen, Christian Bille

2017-01-01

The number of newly developed genetic variants of microbial cell factories for production of biochemicals has been rapidly growing in recent years, leading to an increased need for new screening techniques. We developed a method based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) coupled with liquid......-liquid extraction (LLE) for quantification of p-coumaric acid (pHCA) in the supernatant of genetically engineered Escherichia coli (E. coli) cultures. pHCA was measured in a dynamic range from 1 μM up to 50 μM on highly uniform SERS substrates based on leaning gold-capped nanopillars, which showed an in...

Synthesis of 2.5 nm colloidal iridium nanoparticles with strong surface enhanced Raman scattering activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui, Malin; Zhao, Yuan; Wang, Chan; Song, Qijun

2016-01-01

Colloidal iridium nanoparticles (IrNPs) were synthesized through an environmentally friendly approach by using trisodium citrate as the capping molecule in an aqueous medium. The resulting colloidal IrNPs have a typical diameter of 2.5 nm and display absorption bands at 250, 400 and 600 nm. They possess uniform morphology, good dispersibility, excellent stability in water, and exhibit strong surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity with an enhancement factor (EF) of 3.5 × 10 5 at the 1512 cm -1 peak when using Rhodamine 6G as the probe molecule. The excellent SERS performance of the IrNPs was exemplarily applied to the determination of the industrial colorant Sudan Red I. The peak intensity of the Raman band at 1236 cm -1 is linearly related to the concentration of Sudan Red I which can be determined by SERS in the 2 nM to 8 μM concentration range with a limit of detection as low as 0.6 nM. In our perception, this strong SERS activity of the IrNPs has a large potential in the SERS-based quantitation of various chemical substances. (author)

Intense and stable surface-enhanced Raman scattering from Ag@mesoporous SiO{sub 2} film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Long, Yongjin; Wang, Xiaolong; Chen, Dong; Jiang, Tao, E-mail: jiangtao@nbu.edu.cn; Zhao, Ziqi; Zhou, Jun, E-mail: zhoujun@nbu.edu.cn

2016-09-15

A surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) film consisting of mesoporous silica (MSiO{sub 2}) coated Ag nanoparticles (NPs) was achieved. The as-prepared hybrid NPs were uniform in size and formed large amount of aggregates in the film. “Hot spots” were supposed to appear in the MSiO{sub 2} shells with an average size as small as 15 nm. Such a novel core–shell structure therefore induced the enhancement of SERS intensity compared to the film of bare Ag NPs and polymer film of Ag-CMC. The homogeneity and stability of SERS signals from the Ag@MSiO{sub 2} film were also tested. A relative standard deviation of SERS intensity lower than 20% from Raman mapping and a stable SERS signal with excitation power of 100 mW were observed, which were both better than the other two films. Moreover, the obtained Ag@MSiO{sub 2} film was applied to detect thiram pesticides and a detection limit as low as 1×10{sup −8} M was reached, which indicates the advantages of the Ag@MSiO{sub 2} film in biosensor.

Highly efficient construction of oriented sandwich structures for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Hongyun; Xu Weiqing; Xu Shuping; Zhou Ji; Lombardi, John R

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to solve the problem of low achievement in fabricating sandwich surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates. We demonstrated a highly efficient sandwich structure by the oriented assembly of metal nanoparticles (NPs) on a periodic hexagonal array of metal nanoprisms with 1,4-benzenedithiol (1,4-BDT) as linkers. The metal nanoprism array was prepared by vacuum deposition of metal on a close-packed polystyrene nanosphere pre-patterned substrate. The metal nanoprism array presents different surface properties from the pits left from the removal of polystyrene nanospheres, which causes linkers to selectively adsorb on the metal nanoprism array and sequentially leads to the oriented immobilization of the second-layer metal NPs, avoiding mismatched orientation. These sandwich SERS substrates were characterized by extinction spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy and their enhancement activity was evaluated under different excitation wavelengths. The sandwich structure greatly increases the achievement of ‘hot spots’ to almost 100% of all the metal nanoprisms and enables a large amplification of SERS signals by a factor of ten. This method has the advantages of simplicity, high efficiency, high throughput, controllability and high reproducibility. It has significance in both the study of SERS substrates and the development of plasmonic devices. (paper)

Detection of amino acid neurotransmitters by surface enhanced Raman scattering and hollow core photonic crystal fiber

Science.gov (United States)

Tiwari, Vidhu S.; Khetani, Altaf; Monfared, Ali Momenpour T.; Smith, Brett; Anis, Hanan; Trudeau, Vance L.

2012-03-01

The present work explores the feasibility of using surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for detecting the neurotransmitters such as glutamate (GLU) and gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA). These amino acid neurotransmitters that respectively mediate fast excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission in the brain, are important for neuroendocrine control, and upsets in their synthesis are also linked to epilepsy. Our SERS-based detection scheme enabled the detection of low amounts of GLU (10-7 M) and GABA (10-4 M). It may complement existing techniques for characterizing such kinds of neurotransmitters that include high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) or mass spectrography (MS). This is mainly because SERS has other advantages such as ease of sample preparation, molecular specificity and sensitivity, thus making it potentially applicable to characterization of experimental brain extracts or clinical diagnostic samples of cerebrospinal fluid and saliva. Using hollow core photonic crystal fiber (HC-PCF) further enhanced the Raman signal relative to that in a standard cuvette providing sensitive detection of GLU and GABA in micro-litre volume of aqueous solutions.

Fast and eco-friendly fabrication of uniform Ag substrates for highly sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Yongda; Li, Xin; Jiang, Lan; Meng, Ge; Ran, Peng; Lu, Yongfeng

2017-05-01

This study proposed a fast, simple, eco-friendly method for obtaining highly sensitive and uniform surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of silver (Ag) nanotextured substrates decorated with silver nanoparticles in open air. By splitting conventional femtosecond pulses (subpulse delay Δt = 0 ps) into pulse trains (subpulse delay Δt = 3 ps), the mean diameter of Ag nanoparticles was reduced by almost half and the amount of Ag nanoparticles with a diameter ranging from 20 to 60 nm was increased by more than 11 times. The substrate fabricated by femtosecond pulse trains has four main merits as follows: (1) High sensitivity: the maximum SERS enhancement factor is 1.26 × 109; (2) High efficiency: the fabrication rate can be up to 1600 μm2/s, which is 20-40 times faster than femtosecond photochemical reduction; (3) Good reproducibility: the relative standard deviation of the Raman signal intensity is 10.7%, which is one-third of that for conventional femtosecond laser; (4) Eco-friendly fabrication: neither chemical reagents nor vacuum conditions are needed during the fabrication process.

Generation of nanospikes via laser ablation of metals in liquid environment and their activity in surface-enhanced Raman scattering of organic molecules

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Truong, S. Lau; Levi, G.; Bozon-Verduraz, F. [ITODYS, UMR-CNRS 7086, Universite Paris 7-Denis Diderot, 2, place Jussieu, 75251 Paris cedex 05 (France); Petrovskaya, A.V.; Simakin, A.V. [Wave Research Center of A.M. Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilov street, 119991 Moscow (Russian Federation); Shafeev, G.A. [Wave Research Center of A.M. Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilov street, 119991 Moscow (Russian Federation)], E-mail: shafeev@kapella.gpi.ru

2007-12-15

The formation of dense arrays of nanospikes occurs under laser ablation of bulk targets (Ag, Au, Ta, Ti) immersed in liquids such as water or ethanol. The average height of spikes is 50 nm and their density on the target amounts to 10{sup 10} cm{sup -2}. The effect is observed with sufficiently short laser pulses. In particular, either a 350 ps or a 90 ps Nd:YAG lasers are used in their fundamental harmonics. The nanospikes are characterized by UV-Visible reflection spectrometry and atomic force microscopy. The oscillations of electrons within nanospikes result in a permanent coloration of the surface and a modification of the optical reflection spectra of the metal. Scanning the laser beam along the metal surface allows its nanostructuring over extended areas ({approx}1 cm{sup 2}). The nanostructured Ag surface shows enhanced Raman scattering of acridine molecules at a concentration of 10{sup -5} M/l, whereas the initial Ag targets do not show any signal within the accuracy of measurements.

Raman Optical Activity of Biological Molecules

Science.gov (United States)

Blanch, Ewan W.; Barron, Laurence D.

Now an incisive probe of biomolecular structure, Raman optical activity (ROA) measures a small difference in Raman scattering from chiral molecules in right- and left-circularly polarized light. As ROA spectra measure vibrational optical activity, they contain highly informative band structures sensitive to the secondary and tertiary structures of proteins, nucleic acids, viruses and carbohydrates as well as the absolute configurations of small molecules. In this review we present a survey of recent studies on biomolecular structure and dynamics using ROA and also a discussion of future applications of this powerful new technique in biomedical research.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering: a new optical probe in molecular biophysics and biomedicine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kneipp, J.; Wittig, B.; Bohr, Henrik

2010-01-01

Sensitive and detailed molecular structural information plays an increasing role in molecular biophysics and molecular medicine. Therefore, vibrational spectroscopic techniques, such as Raman scattering, which provide high structural information content are of growing interest in biophysical and ...

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy for urinary tract infection diagnosis and antibiogram

Science.gov (United States)

Kastanos, Evdokia; Hadjigeorgiou, Katerina; Kyriakides, Alexandros; Pitris, Constantinos

2010-02-01

Urinary tract infection diagnosis and antibiogram require a minimum of 48 hours using standard laboratory practice. This long waiting period contributes to an increase in recurrent infections, rising health care costs, and a growing number of bacterial strains developing resistance to antibiotics. In this work, Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) was used as a novel method for classifying bacteria and determining their antibiogram. Five species of bacteria were classified with > 90% accuracy using their SERS spectra and a classification algorithm involving novel feature extraction and discriminant analysis. Antibiotic resistance or sensitivity was determined after just a two-hour exposure of bacteria to ciprofloxacin (sensitive) and amoxicillin (resistant) and analysis of their SERS spectra. These results can become the basis for the development of a novel method that would provide same day diagnosis and selection of the most appropriate antibiotic for most effective treatment of a urinary tract infection.

Finite Element Method Simulations of the Near-Field Enhancement at the Vicinity of Fractal Rough Metallic Surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Micic, Miodrag; Klymyshyn, Nicholas A.; Lu, H Peter

2004-01-01

Near-field optical enhancement at metal surfaces and methods such as surface plasmon resonance (SPR), surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), fluorescent quenching and enhancement, and various near-field scanning microscopies (NSOM) all depend on a metals surface properties, mainly on its morphology and SPR resonant frequency. We report on simulations of the influence of different surface morphologies on electromagnetic field enhancements at the rough surfaces of noble metals and also evaluate the optimal conditions for the generation of a surface-enhanced Raman signal of absorbed species on a metallic substrate. All simulations were performed with a classical electrodynamics approach using the full set of Maxwells equations, which were solved with the three-dimensional finite element method (FEM). Two different classes of surfaces where modeled using fractals, representing diffusion limited aggregation growth dendritic structures, such as one on the surface of electrodes, and second one representing the sponge-like structure used to model surfaces of particles with high porosity, such as metal coated catalyst supports. The simulations depict the high inhomogeneity of an enhanced electromagnetic field as both a field enhancement and field attenuation near the surface. While the diffusion limited aggregation dendritical fractals enhanced the near-field electromagnetic field, the sponge fractals significantly reduced the local electromagnetic field intensity. Moreover, the fractal orders of the fractal objects did not significantly alter the total enhancement, and the distribution of a near-field enhancement was essentially invariant to the changes in the angle of an incoming laser beam

Raman spectroscopy an intensity approach

CERN Document Server

Guozhen, Wu

2017-01-01

This book summarizes the highlights of our work on the bond polarizability approach to the intensity analysis. The topics covered include surface enhanced Raman scattering, Raman excited virtual states and Raman optical activity (ROA). The first chapter briefly introduces the Raman effect in a succinct but clear way. Chapter 2 deals with the normal mode analysis. This is a basic tool for our work. Chapter 3 introduces our proposed algorithm for the Raman intensity analysis. Chapter 4 heavily introduces the physical picture of Raman virtual states. Chapter 5 offers details so that the readers can have a comprehensive idea of Raman virtual states. Chapter 6 demonstrates how this bond polarizability algorithm is extended to ROA intensity analysis. Chapters 7 and 8 offer details on ROA, showing many findings on ROA mechanism that were not known or neglected before. Chapter 9 introduces our proposed classical treatment on ROA which, as combined with the results from the bond polarizability analysis, leads to a com...

Facile Synthesis of Micron-Sized Hollow Silver Spheres as Substrates for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lixin Xia

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A well-designed type of micron-sized hollow silver sphere was successfully synthesized by a simple hard-template method to be used as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering. 4 Å molecular sieves were employed as a removable solid template. [Ag(NH32]+ was absorbed as the precursor on the surface of the molecular sieve. Formaldehyde was selected as a reducing agent to reduce [Ag(NH32]+, resulting in the formation of a micron-sized silver shell on the surface of the 4 Å molecular sieves. The micron-sized hollow silver spheres were obtained by removing the molecular sieve template. SEM and XRD were used to characterize the structure of the micron-sized hollow silver spheres. The as-prepared micro-silver spheres exhibited robust SERS activity in the presence of adsorbed 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA with excitation at 632.8 nm, and the enhancement factor reached ~1.5 × 106. This synthetic process represents a promising method for preparing various hollow metal nanoparticles.

Ultraviolet Resonant Raman Enhancements in the Detection of Explosives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Short Jr., Billy Joe [Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA (United States)

2009-06-01

Raman-based spectroscopy is potentially militarily useful for standoff detection of high explosives. Normal (non-resonance) and resonance Raman spectroscopies are both light scattering techniques that use a laser to measure the vibrational spectrum of a sample. In resonance Raman, the laser is tuned to match the wavelength of a strong electronic absorbance in the molecule of interest, whereas, in normal Raman the laser is not tuned to any strong electronic absorbance bands. The selection of appropriate excitation wavelengths in resonance Raman can result in a dramatic increase in the Raman scattering efficiency of select band(s) associated with the electronic transition. Other than the excitation wavelength, however, resonance Raman is performed experimentally the same as normal Raman. In these studies, normal and resonance Raman spectral signatures of select solid high explosive (HE) samples and explosive precursors were collected at 785 nm, 244 nm and 229 nm. Solutions of PETN, TNT, and explosive precursors (DNT & PNT) in acetonitrile solvent as an internal Raman standard were quantitatively evaluated using ultraviolet resonance Raman (UVRR) microscopy and normal Raman spectroscopy as a function of power and select excitation wavelengths. Use of an internal standard allowed resonance enhancements to be estimated at 229 nm and 244 nm. Investigations demonstrated that UVRR provided ~2000-fold enhancement at 244 nm and ~800-fold improvement at 229 nm while PETN showed a maximum of ~25-fold at 244 nm and ~190-fold enhancement at 229 nm solely from resonance effects when compared to normal Raman measurements. In addition to the observed resonance enhancements, additional Raman signal enhancements are obtained with ultraviolet excitation (i.e., Raman scattering scales as !4 for measurements based on scattered photons). A model, based partly on the resonance Raman enhancement results for HE solutions, is presented for estimating Raman enhancements for solid HE samples.

M13 Bacteriophage/Silver Nanowire Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Sensor for Sensitive and Selective Pesticide Detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Koh, Eun Hye; Mun, ChaeWon; Kim, ChunTae; Park, Sung-Gyu; Choi, Eun Jung; Kim, Sun Ho; Dang, Jaejeung; Choo, Jaebum; Oh, Jin-Woo; Kim, Dong-Ho; Jung, Ho Sang

2018-03-28

A surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensor comprising silver nanowires (AgNWs) and genetically engineered M13 bacteriophages expressing a tryptophan-histidine-tryptophan (WHW) peptide sequence (BPWHW) was fabricated by simple mixing of BPWHW and AgNW solutions, followed by vacuum filtration onto a glass-fiber filter paper (GFFP) membrane. The AgNWs stacked on the GFFP formed a high density of SERS-active hot spots at the points of nanowire intersections, and the surface-coated BPWHW functioned as a bioreceptor for selective pesticide detection. The BPWHW-functionalized AgNW (BPWHW/AgNW) sensor was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, confocal scanning fluorescence microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The Raman signal enhancement and the selective pesticide SERS detection properties of the BPWHW/AgNW sensor were investigated in the presence of control substrates such as wild-type M13 bacteriophage-decorated AgNWs (BPWT/AgNW) and undecorated AgNWs (AgNW). The BPWHW/AgNW sensor exhibited a significantly higher capture capability for pesticides, especially paraquat (PQ), than the control SERS substrates, and it also showed a relatively higher selectivity for PQ than for other bipyridylium pesticides such as diquat and difenzoquat. Furthermore, as a field application test, PQ was detected on the surface of PQ-pretreated apple peels, and the results demonstrated the feasibility of using a paper-based SERS substrate for on-site residual pesticide detection. The developed M13 bacteriophage-functionalized AgNW SERS sensor might be applicable for the detection of various pesticides and chemicals through modification of the M13 bacteriophage surface peptide sequence.

Discrimination of rectal cancer through human serum using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaozhou; Yang, Tianyue; Li, Siqi; Zhang, Su; Jin, Lili

2015-05-01

In this paper, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was used to detect the changes in blood serum components that accompany rectal cancer. The differences in serum SERS data between rectal cancer patients and healthy controls were examined. Postoperative rectal cancer patients also participated in the comparison to monitor the effects of cancer treatments. The results show that there are significant variations at certain wavenumbers which indicates alteration of corresponding biological substances. Principal component analysis (PCA) and parameters of intensity ratios were used on the original SERS spectra for the extraction of featured variables. These featured variables then underwent linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and classification and regression tree (CART) for the discrimination analysis. Accuracies of 93.5 and 92.4 % were obtained for PCA-LDA and parameter-CART, respectively.

Determination of Ethanol in Blood Samples Using Partial Least Square Regression Applied to Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Açikgöz, Güneş; Hamamci, Berna; Yildiz, Abdulkadir

2018-04-01

Alcohol consumption triggers toxic effect to organs and tissues in the human body. The risks are essentially thought to be related to ethanol content in alcoholic beverages. The identification of ethanol in blood samples requires rapid, minimal sample handling, and non-destructive analysis, such as Raman Spectroscopy. This study aims to apply Raman Spectroscopy for identification of ethanol in blood samples. Silver nanoparticles were synthesized to obtain Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) spectra of blood samples. The SERS spectra were used for Partial Least Square (PLS) for determining ethanol quantitatively. To apply PLS method, 920~820 cm -1 band interval was chosen and the spectral changes of the observed concentrations statistically associated with each other. The blood samples were examined according to this model and the quantity of ethanol was determined as that: first a calibration method was established. A strong relationship was observed between known concentration values and the values obtained by PLS method (R 2 = 1). Second instead of then, quantities of ethanol in 40 blood samples were predicted according to the calibration method. Quantitative analysis of the ethanol in the blood was done by analyzing the data obtained by Raman spectroscopy and the PLS method.

Optical trapping and Raman spectroscopy of single nanostructures using standing-wave Raman tweezers

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Mu-ying; He, Lin; Chen, Gui-hua; Yang, Guang; Li, Yong-qing

2017-08-01

Optical tweezers integrated with Raman spectroscopy allows analyzing a single trapped micro-particle, but is generally less effective for individual nano-sized objects in the 10-100 nm range. The main challenge is the weak gradient force on nanoparticles that is insufficient to overcome the destabilizing effect of scattering force and Brownian motion. Here, we present standing-wave Raman tweezers for stable trapping and sensitive characterization of single isolated nanostructures with a low laser power by combining a standing-wave optical trap (SWOT) with confocal Raman spectroscopy. This scheme has stronger intensity gradients and balanced scattering forces, and thus is more stable and sensitive in measuring nanoparticles in liquid with 4-8 fold increase in the Raman signals. It can be used to analyze many nanoparticles that cannot be measured with single-beam Raman tweezers, including individual single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT), graphene flakes, biological particles, polystyrene beads (100 nm), SERS-active metal nanoparticles, and high-refractive semiconductor nanoparticles with a low laser power of a few milliwatts. This would enable sorting and characterization of specific SWCNTs and other nanoparticles based on their increased Raman fingerprints.

Rapid detection of acetamiprid in foods using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).

Science.gov (United States)

Wijaya, Wisiani; Pang, Shintaro; Labuza, Theodore P; He, Lili

2014-04-01

Acetamiprid is a neonicotinoid pesticide that is commonly used in modern farming. Acetamiprid residue in food commodities can be a potential harm to human and has been implicated in the honey bee hive die off crisis. In this study, we developed rapid, simple, and sensitive methods to detect acetamiprid in apple juice and on apple surfaces using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). No pretreatment of apple juice sample was performed. A simple surface swab method was used to recover acetamiprid from the apple surface. Samples were incubated with silver dendrites for several minutes and SERS spectra were taken directly from the silver surface. Detection of a set of 5 apple juice samples can be done within 10 min. The swab-SERS method took 15 min for a set of 5 samples. Resulting spectral data were analyzed using principal component analysis. The highest acetamiprid peak at 634 cm(-1) was used to detect and quantify the amount of acetamiprid spiked in 1:1 water-methanol solvent, apple juice, and on apple surface. The SERS method was able to successfully detect acetamiprid at 0.5 μg/mL (0.5 ppm) in solvent, 3 μg/mL (3 ppm) in apple juice, and 0.125 μg/cm(2) on apple surfaces. The SERS methods provide simple, rapid, and sensitive ways to detect acetamiprid in beverages and on the surfaces of thick skinned fruits and vegetables. © 2014 Institute of Food Technologists®

Raman amplification in optical communication systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjær, Rasmus

2008-01-01

Fiber Raman amplifiers are investigated with the purpose of identifying new applications and limitations for their use in optical communication systems. Three main topics are investigated, namely: New applications of dispersion compensating Raman amplifiers, the use Raman amplification to increase...... fiberbaserede Raman-forstærkere med henblik på at identificere både deres begrænsninger og nye anvendelsesmuligheder i optiske kommunikationssystemer. En numerisk forstærkermodel er blevet udviklet for bedre at forstå forstærkerens dynamik, dens gain- og støjbegrænsninger. Modellen bruges til at forudsige...... forstærkerens statiske og dynamiske egenskaber, og det eftervises at dens resultater er i god overensstemmelse med eksperimentelle forstærkermålinger. Dispersions-kompenserende fiber er på grund af sin store udbredelse og fiberens høje Raman gain effektivitet et meget velegnet Raman gain-medium. Tre nye...

Nanotextured thin films for detection of chemicals by surface enhanced Raman scattering

Science.gov (United States)

Korivi, Naga; Jiang, Li; Ahmed, Syed; Nujhat, Nabila; Idrees, Mohanad; Rangari, Vijaya

2017-11-01

We report on the development of large area, nanostructured films that function as substrates for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection of chemicals. The films are made of polyethylene terephthalate layers partially embedded with multi-walled carbon nanotubes and coated with a thin layer of gold. The films are fabricated by a facile method involving spin-coating, acid dip, and magnetron sputtering. The films perform effectively as SERS substrates when used in the detection of dye pollutants such as Congo red dye, with an enhancement factor of 1.1  ×  106 and a detection limit of 10-7 M which is the lowest reported for CR detection by freestanding SERS film substrates. The films have a long shelf life, and cost US0.20 per cm2 of active area, far less than commercially available SERS substrates. This is the first such work on the use of a polymer layer modified with carbon nanotubes to create a nano-scale texture and arbitrary ‘hot-spots’, contributing to the SERS effect.

Biomedical Applications of Micro-Raman and Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Technology

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-01

hydroxyapatite ; 1073cm-1, carbonate from carbonate apatite; 1442cm-1, cholesterol and cholesterol esters. 17 Table 1. Tentative assignment and Raman peak...allowed for the discrete location of atherosclerotic plaques. Raman peaks at 961 and 1073 cm-1 reveal the presence of calcium hydroxyapatite and... hydroxyapatite are located within the vessel wall. Similarly, Fig. 5 maps the Raman intensity of the peak at 1073cm-1, which is indicative of

Replacement of Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) by Thiols: A Systematic Study of Ag Nanocube Functionalization by Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

OpenAIRE

Moran, Christine H.; Rycenga, Matthew; Zhang, Qiang; Xia, Younan

2011-01-01

In this work, we used surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) to monitor the replacement of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) on Ag nanocubes by cysteamine, thiol-terminated PEG, and benzenedithiol. PVP is widely used as a colloidal stabilizer and capping agent to control the shape of Ag (as well as many other noble metals) nanocrystals during synthesis, and to stabilize the final colloidal suspension. However, the surface chemistry of Ag nanocrystals often needs to be tailored for specific appl...

Self-assembly nanoparticle based tripetaloid structure arrays as surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)