Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy using gold-core platinum-shell nanoparticle film electrodes: toward a versatile vibrational strategy for electrochemical interfaces

Bio-imaging, detection and analysis by using nanostructures as SERS substrates

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a phenomenon that occurs on nanoscale-roughed metallic surface. The magnitude of the Raman scattering signal can be greatly enhanced when the scatterer is placed in the very close vicinity of the surface, which enables this phenomenon to be a highly sensitive analytical technique. SERS inherits the general strongpoint of conventional Raman spectroscopy and overcomes the inherently small cross section problem of a Raman scattering. It is a sensitive and nondestructive spectroscopic method for biological samples, and can be exploited either for the delivery of molecular structural information or for the detection of trace levels of analytes. Therefore, SERS has long been regarded as a powerful tool in biomedical research. Metallic nanostructure plays a key role in all the biomedical applications of SERS because the enhanced Raman signal can only be obtained on the surface of a finely divided substrate. This review focuses on progress made in the use of SERS as an analytical technique in bio-imaging, analysis and detection. Recent progress in the fabrication of SERS active nanostructures is also highlighted.

Preparation, Characterization, and Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Activity of Spherical α-Fe2O3/Ag Core/Shell Nanoparticles

Spherical α-Fe2O3/Ag core/shell nanoparticles were prepared by reducing Ag(NH3)2+ with formaldehyde using the seeding method. 3- Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS) acts as a “bridge” to link between α-Fe2O3 core and Ag shell. The obtained nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, TEM, SEM, EDS, and Roman. The results show thatα-Fe2O3 cores are coated by Ag shell completely. The average size of α-Fe2O3/Ag nanoparticles is 95 nm and the thicknesses of Ag shell are 15nm in 3.7% HCHO and 1.0M AgNO3. The thickness of Ag shell can be tunable by changing reaction conditions, such as the concentration of AgNO3, reduction reaction rate. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect of the core/shell particles are measured with Pyridine (Py) as molecule probe. SERS indicate that the Raman signals of Py adsorbed on α-Fe2O3/Ag nanoparticles exhibit large enhancement at 1010 and 1038 cm-1 respectively. And the intensity of signals is enhanced with the increase of the thickness of Ag shell. The uniform and rough surface of α-Fe2O3/Ag particles exhibits strong SERS activity in 3.7% HCHO and 1.0M AgNO3. The spherical α-Fe2O3/Ag core/shell nanoparticles exhibit SERS activity.

Surface enhanced Raman scattering of pyridine adsorbed on Au@Pd core/shell nanoparticles

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of pyridine adsorbed on Au@Pd core/shell nanoparticles has been investigated theoretically with quantum chemical method, generalized Mie theory and three-dimensional finite-difference time domain (3D-FDTD) method. We first studied the influence of the coated Pd on the electronic structure of Au nanoparticle, and compared the electronic structure of Au(20) cluster with that of Au(10)Pd(10) (core/shell) cluster. Second, we studied SERS spectroscopy of pyridine on Au@Pd core/shell nanoparticles, which revealed the rate of static chemical enhancement and electromagnetic enhancement in the experimental reports. Third, the influence of the Pd shell thickness to the optical absorption of Au@Pd core/shell nanoparticles was investigated with generalized Mie theory. Fourth, we studied the influence of the shell thickness to the local electric field enhancement with 3D-FDTD method. The theoretical results reveal that the static chemical enhancement and electromagnetic enhancement are in the order of 10 and 10(3), respectively. These theoretical studies promote the deeper understanding of the electronic structure and optical absorption properties of Au@Pd, and the mechanisms for SERS of molecule adsorbed on Au@Pd.

A new aptameric biosensor for cocaine based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy

The present study reports the proof of principle of a reagentless aptameric sensor based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy with "signal-on" architecture using a model target of cocaine. This new aptameric sensor is based on the conformational change of the surface-tethered aptamer on a binding target that draws a certain Raman reporter in close proximity to the SERS substrate, thereby increasing the Raman scattering signal due to the local enhancement effect of SERS. To improve the response performance, the sensor is fabricated from a cocaine-templated mixed self-assembly of a 3'-terminal tetramethylrhodamine (TMR)-labeled DNA aptamer on a silver colloid film by means of an alkanethiol moiety at the 5' end. This immobilization strategy optimizes the orientation of the aptamer on the surface and facilitates the folding on the binding target. Under optimized assay conditions, one can determine cocaine at a concentration of 1 muM, which compares favorably with analogous aptameric sensors based on electrochemical and fluorescence techniques. The sensor can be readily regenerated by being washed with a buffer. These results suggest that the SERS-based transducer might create a new dimension for future development of aptameric sensors for sensitive determination in biochemical and biomedical studies.

Detection of adenosine using surface-enhanced Raman scattering based on structure-switching signaling aptamer

In the present study, we report a novel sensitive method for the detection of adenosine using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing platform based on a structure-switching aptamer. First, Ag-clad Au colloids film on a polished gold disc is prepared as enhanced substrate and modified with thiolated capture DNA. The formation of an aptamer/DNA duplex of expanded anti-adenosine aptamer and tetramethylrhodamine-labeled DNA (denoted TMR-DNA) is then developed, in which TMR-DNA could also hybridize completely with capture DNA. The introduction of adenosine thus triggers structure switching of the aptamer from aptamer/DNA duplex to aptamer/target complex. As a result, the released TMR-DNA is captured onto the SERS substrate, resulting in an increase of SERS signal. Under optimized assay conditions, a wide linear dynamic range (2.0 x 10(-8)M to 2 x 10(-6)M) was reached with low detection limit (1.0 x 10(-8)M). Moreover, high selectivity, stability and facile regeneration are achieved. The successful test demonstrates the feasibility of the strategy for adenosine assay.

Expanding generality of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy with borrowing SERS activity strategy

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) was discovered three decades ago and has gone through a tortuous pathway to develop into a powerful diagnostic technique. Recently, the lack of substrate, surface and molecular generalities of SERS has been circumvented to a large extent by devising and utilizing various nanostructures by many groups including ours. This article aims to present our recent approaches of utilizing the borrowing SERS activity strategy mainly through constructing two types of nanostructures. The first nanostructure is chemically synthesized Au nanoparticles coated with ultra-thin shells (ca. one to ten atomic layers) of various transition metals, e.g., Pt, Pd, Ni and Co, respectively. Boosted by the long-range effect of the enhanced electromagnetic (EM) field generated by the highly SERS-active Au core, the originally low surface enhancement of the transition metal can be substantially improved giving total enhancement factors up to 10(4)-10(5). It allows us to obtain the Raman spectra of surface water, having small Raman cross-section, on several transition metals for the first time. To expand the surface generality of SERS, tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) has been employed. With TERS, a nanogap can be formed controllably between an atomically flat metal surface and the tip with an optimized shape, within which the enhanced EM field from the tip can be coupled (borrowed) effectively. Therefore, one can obtain surface Raman signals (TERS signals) from adsorbed species at Au(110), Au(111) and, more importantly, Pt(l10) surfaces. The enhancement factor achieved on these single crystal surfaces can be up to 106, especially with a very high spatial resolution down to about 14 nm. To fully accomplish the borrowing strategy from different nanostructures and to explain the experimental observations, a three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method was used to calculate and evaluate the local EM field on the core-shell nanoparticle surfaces and the TERS tips. Finally, prospects and further developments of this valuable strategy are briefly discussed with emphasis on the emerging experimental methodologies.

Raman spectroscopy on transition metals

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has developed into one of the most important tools in analytical and surface sciences since its discovery in the mid-1970s. Recent work on the SERS of transition metals concluded that transition metals, other than Cu, Ag, and Au, can also generate surface enhancement as high as 4 orders of magnitude. The present article gives an overview of recent progresses in the field of Raman spectroscopy on transition metals, including experimental, theory, and applications. Experimental considerations of how to optimize the experimental conditions and calculate the surface enhancement factor are discussed first, followed by a very brief introduction of preparation of SERS-active transition metal substrates, including massive transition metal surfaces, aluminum-supported transition metal electrodes, and pure transition metal nanoparticle assembled electrodes. The advantages of using SERS in investigating surface bonding and reaction are illustrated for the adsorption and reaction of benzene on Pt and Rh electrodes. The electromagnetic enhancement, mainly lightning-rod effect, plays an essential role in the SERS of transition metals, and that the charge-transfer effect is also operative in some specific metal-molecule systems. An outlook for the field of Raman spectroscopy of transition metals is given in the last section, including the preparation of well-ordered or well-defined nanostructures, and core-shell nanoparticles for investigating species with extremely weak SERS signals, as well as some new emerging techniques, including tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and an in situ measuring technique.