Site-Selective Controlled Dealloying Process of Gold-Silver Nanowire Array: a Simple Approach towards Long-Term Stability and Sensitivity Improvement of SERS Substrate

Recent advances of Au@Ag core-shell SERS-based biosensors

The methodological advancements in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique with nanoscale materials based on noble metals, Au, Ag, and their bimetallic alloy Au-Ag, has enabled the highly efficient sensing of chemical and biological molecules at very low concentration values. By employing the innovative various type of Au, Ag nanoparticles and especially, high efficiency Au@Ag alloy nanomaterials as substrate in SERS based biosensors have revolutionized the detection of biological components including; proteins, antigens antibodies complex, circulating tumor cells, DNA, and RNA (miRNA), etc. This review is about SERS-based Au/Ag bimetallic biosensors and their Raman enhanced activity by focusing on different factors related to them. The emphasis of this research is to describe the recent developments in this field and conceptual advancements behind them. Furthermore, in this article we apex the understanding of impact by variation in basic features like effects of size, shape varying lengths, thickness of core-shell and their influence of large-scale magnitude and morphology. Moreover, the detailed information about recent biological applications based on these core-shell noble metals, importantly detection of receptor binding domain (RBD) protein of COVID-19 is provided.

Integrated microfluidic-SERS for exosome biomarker profiling and osteosarcoma diagnosis

Osteosarcoma is one of the most frequent primary sarcoma of bone among adolescents. Early diagnosis of osteosarcoma is the key factor to achieve high survival rate of patients. Nevertheless, traditional histological biopsy is highly invasive and associated with the risk of arousing tumor spread. Herein, we develop a method integrating microfluidics and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to isolate plasma-derived exosomes and profile multiple exosomal biomarkers for the diagnosis of osteosarcoma. The method showed highly efficient isolation of exosomes directly from human plasma and can profile exosomes based on protein biomarkers, with the detection limit down to 2 exosomes per μL. The whole assay can be performed in 5 h and only consumed 50 μL of plasma for one analysis. With the method, we analyzed the level of three protein biomarkers, i.e., CD63, vimentin (VIM) and epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), on plasma-derived exosomes from 20 osteosarcoma patients and 20 heathy controls. Significantly higher levels of CD63, VIM and EpCAM were observed on plasma exosomes from the osteosarcoma patients compared to the healthy controls. Based on the level of the exosomal biomarkers, a classification model was built for the rapid diagnosis of osteosarcoma, with the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 100%, 90% and 95%, respectively. The proposed method does not require complex operations nor expensive equipment, and has great promise in clinical diagnosis of cancer as a liquid biopsy technique.

Bimetallic Au-Ag on a Patterned Substrate Derived from Discarded Blu-ray Discs: Simple, Inexpensive, Stable, and Reproducible Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Substrates

A simple and reproducible surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate of bimetallic gold-silver (Au-Ag) based on discarded a Blu-ray disc read only memory (BD-ROM) was developed by simply incorporating electrochemical (EC) treatment and chemical reaction. The resurfaced AgBD-ROM substrate (r-AgBD-ROM) was fabricated by EC treatment on a Ag film layer in BD-ROM (AgBD-ROM) to generate silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the indented pattern surface. Then, galvanic displacement reaction of Au and Ag was carried out to prepare the bimetallic Au-Ag structure (Au-r-AgBD-ROM). The suitable size and density as well as location of NPs on the surface can be tuned via EC treatment conditions to obtain highly active SERS performance. The SERS enhancement phenomenon on our developed substrate was studied by observing the location of the SERS hot spot obtained by Raman mapping. The developed SERS substrate offers excellent stability (90 days), good uniformity [6.14% relative standard deviation (RSD)], and reproducibility (3.79% of RSD). Moreover, this substrate can be used as a promising sensor for detecting acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and mefenamic acid. This finding suggests a simple and low-priced process, which potentially facilitates fabrication of highly sensitive SERS substrates for practical applications.

Core-shell Au@AuAg nano-peanuts for the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol: critical role of hollow interior and broken shell structure

Bimetallic hollow core-shell nanoparticles have gained immense attention, especially as a high-performance catalyst due to their large surface area and increased number of uncoordinated atoms. However, the synthesis of an anisotropic hollow structure with large number of uncoordinated atoms and tailored hole size remains elusive. Herein, we report the synthesis of peanut-like core-shell nanostructures consisting of Au nanorods as the core covered by the AuAg alloy shell. The AuAg shell was formed on the Au nanorod core via co-deposition of Ag and Au atoms without disturbing the Au nanorod core. Then, we controllably and selectively removed Ag atoms from the shell to create "Broken Shell Peanuts" with variable hole size between 8 ± 4 nm and 26 ± 7 nm. Further, we utilized these nanostructures with different hole size as catalysts to reduce 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol where the broken shell peanut nanostructures with a hole size of 26 ± 7 nm were found to be 12 times more efficient than the solid shell peanut structures.

Mesoporous silica supported orderly-spaced gold nanoparticles SERS-based sensor for pesticides detection in food

In this study, a novel sensor fabricated with compactly arranged gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) templated from mesoporous silica film (MSF) via air-water interface has been confirmed as a promising surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate for detecting trace levels of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), pymetrozine and thiamethoxam. The densely arranged AuNPs@MSF had an average AuNPs size of 5.15 nm with small nanogaps (<2nm) between AuNPs, and exhibited a high SERS performance. SERS spectra of pesticides were collected after their adsorption on the AuNPs@MSF. The results showed that the concentration of 2,4-D, pymetrozine and thiamethoxam gave a good linear relationship with SERS intensity. Moreover, the designed SERS-based sensor (AuNPs@MSF) was stable for 3 months with ca. 3% relative standard deviation (RSD) and was applied successfully for the analysis of 2,4-D extraction from both environmental and food samples. The proposed SERS-based sensor was further validated by HPLC and showed satisfactory result (p > 0.05).

Controllable MXene nano-sheet/Au nanostructure architectures for the ultra-sensitive molecule Raman detection

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy aims to augment the relatively weak molecular vibrations based on electromagnetic enhancement (EE) and chemical enhancement (CE) mechanisms, and offers a potential way for material identification, even up to the single-molecule level, under atmospheric conditions. We have subtly combined the advantages of EE and CE, and propose new MXene (Ti3C2TX) nano-sheet/Au nanostructure architectures to break through the limitations of the Raman detection with long-time stability. The MXene nanosheets with excellent biocompatibility can effectively prevent structural distortion from the interaction with the Au NSs, and can also guarantee a high enhancement effect owing to the spatially extended electromagnetic field distribution and electron injection into the molecules. The self-assembled Au nanostructures are aggregated based on the Volmer-Weber growth model, and the electromagnetic field distribution radically evolves depending on the morphologies of the resultant Au nanostructures, leading to a drastic compensation for the limited EE of the MXene nano-sheets. Consequently, the intensified Raman vibrational signals of R6G molecules lead to a high enhancement factor of 2.9 × 107, even at an ultra-low concentration of 10-10 M. Similarly, the Raman signals of the methylene blue (MB) and crystal violet (CV) molecules can also be detected at low concentrations below 10-8 M, manifesting universal applications of the MXene/Au architectures for ultra-sensitive molecular detection under atmospheric conditions.

Plasmon-coupled Charge Transfer in FSZA Core-shell Microspheres with High SERS Activity and Pesticide Detection

A commercial SERS substrate does not only require strong enhancement, but also can be reused and recycled in actual application. Herein, Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/ZnO/Ag (FSZA) have been synthesised, which consisted of Fe₃O₄ core with strong magnetic field response and an intermediate SiO₂ layer as an electronic barrier to keep the stability of magnetite particles and outer ZnO and Ag as the effective layers for detecting pollutants. The SERS enhancement factor (EF) of the FSZA was ~8.2 × 10⁵. The enhancement mechanism of the FSZA core-shell microspheres were anatomized. The electromagnetic enhancement of surface deposited Ag, charge transfer, and molecular and exciton resonances act together to cause such high enhancement factors. For practical application, the FSZA core-shell microspheres were also used to detect thiram, moreover, which was collected and separated by an external magnetic field, and maintained the SERS activity without significant decline during multiple tests. So the good enhancement performance and magnetic recyclability make the FSZA core-shell microspheres a promising candidates for practical SERS detection applications.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) Study Using Oblique Angle Deposition of Ag Using Different Substrates

The oblique angle deposition of Ag with different deposition rates and substrates was studied for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) efficiency. The deposition rate for the Ag substrate with maximum SERS efficiency was optimized to 2.4 Å/s. We also analyzed the morphology of Ag nanorods deposited at the same rate on various substrates and compared their SERS intensities. Ag deposited on SiO2, sapphire, and tungsten showed straight nanorods shape and showed relatively high SERS efficiency. However, Ag deposited on graphene or plasma-treated SiO2 substrate was slightly or more aggregated (due to high surface energy) and showed low SERS efficiency.

Simultaneous detection of different probe molecules using silver nanowires as SERS substrates

Metallic silver nanowires with high yield were synthesized using a modified seed mediated approach at room temperature. Ribbon-like nanostructures were obtained when the concentration of NaOH was lower and further increase of NaOH transformed it into long nanowires. These nanowires possess high aspect ratio, with length and diameter ~6.5 μm and 17 nm respectively. The surface enhanced Raman scattering activity of these nanowires was tested with three different probe molecules viz., crystal violet, malachite green and nile blue chloride using visible (514.4 nm) and near-infrared (784.8 nm) excitation lines. The minimum detection limits for crystal violet and nile blue chloride molecules were found to be down to 10^-7 M with good linear responses, as evidenced by values of correlation coefficients, indicating their potential for a variety of applications such as sensing. Principal component analysis was performed with the surface enhanced Raman spectra in order to discriminate the dye molecules and their mixture, simultaneously. The first two principal components, which provided 69.80 and 27.93% of the total data variance, could be conveniently represented as a two dimensional PCA score plot. The score plot showed clear clustering of probe molecules and their mixture. The relative contribution of wavenumbers to each of the two principal components was identified by plotting the PCA loading matrix. These results further promote possibilities of quantification of multiplexed SERS detection and analysis.

In Situ Synthesis of Silver Nanospheres, Nanocubes, and Nanowires over Boron-Doped Graphene Sheets for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Application and Enzyme-Free Detection of Hydrogen Peroxide

An effective in situ synthesis strategy is demonstrated for the preparation of silver nanostructures (nanospheres (NSs), nanocubes (NCs), and nanowires (NWs)) on the surface of boron-doped graphene (BG). Further, these functional nanomaterials are employed for the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and non-enzymatic electrochemical detection of H₂O₂. The results confirm the superior performance of BG-Ag nanostructures as SERS platform. Among various geometries of silver nanoparticles studied in this work, we find that the AgNCs over BG (BG-AgNC) present outstanding SERS performance for detecting 4-mercaptobenzoic acid, with a limit of detection of 1.0 × 10^-13 M. Furthermore, BG-AgNC exhibits excellent capability to detect melamine as low as 1.0 × 10^-9 M. Electrochemical results confirm that the BG-AgNW-based platform exhibits a superior biosensing performance toward H₂O₂ detection. The enhanced performance is due to the presence of graphene, which improves the conductivity and provides more active sites. The synthesis of doped graphene with metallic nanoparticles described in this work is expected to be a key strategy for the development of an efficient SERS and electrochemical sensor that offers simplicity, cost-effectiveness, long-term stability, and better reproducibility.

Highly robust, uniform and ultra-sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates for microRNA detection fabricated by using silver nanostructures grown in gold nanobowls

Highly sensitive and reproducible surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) requires not only a nanometer-level structural control, but also superb uniformity across the SERS substrate for practical imaging and sensing applications. However, in the past, increased reproducibility of the SERS signal was incompatible with increased SERS sensitivity. This work presents multiple silver nanocrystals inside periodically arrayed gold nanobowls (SGBs) via an electrochemical reaction at an overpotential of -3.0 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). The gaps between the silver nanocrystals serve as hot spots for SERS enhancement, and the evenly distributed gold nanobowls lead to a high device-to-device signal uniformity. The SGBs on the large sample surface exhibit an excellent SERS enhancement factor of up to 4.80 × 10⁹, with excellent signal uniformity (RSD < 8.0 ± 2.5%). Furthermore, the SGBs can detect specific microRNA (miR-34a), which plays a widely acknowledged role as biomarkers in diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Although the small size and low abundance of miR-34a in total RNA samples hinder their detection, by utilizing the advantages of SGBs in SERS sensing, reliable and direct detection of human gastric cancer cells has been successfully accomplished.

Toward Universal SERS Detection of Disease Signaling Bioanalytes Using 3D Self-Assembled Nonplasmonic near-Quantum-Scale Silicon Probe

Currently, the quantum-scale surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) properties of Si materials have yet to be discovered for universal biosensing applications. In this study, a potential universal biosensing probe is generated by activating the SERS functionality of Si nanostructures through near quantum-scale (nQS) engineering. We introduce herein 3D nonplasmonic Si nanomesh structure with nQS defects for SERS biosensing applications. Through ionization of a single-crystal defect-free Si wafer, highly defect-rich Si subnano-orbs (sNOs) are fabricated and self-assemble as connective 3D Si nanomesh structures with enhanced SERS biosensing activity. By amending the laser ionization and ion-ion interactions, we observe the controlled synthesis of engineered nQS defects in the form of nQS-grain boundary disorder or surface nQS voids within the interconnected Si sNOs. To our knowledge, it is shown here for the first time that defect-rich Si nanomesh structures exhibit enhanced Raman activity, with the nQS morphological and crystallographic defects acting as the prime SERS contributors without a plasmonic contribution. The SERS biosensing sensitivity with the synthesized defect-rich Si nanomesh structures without an additional plasmonic material was evaluated using of a tripeptide biomarker l-glutathione (GSH); we observe an enhancement factor value of ∼10² for the GSH biomolecules with 10^-9 M sensitivity, a phenomena to our knowledge that has yet to be reported. Additionally, the SERS detection of multiple disease-signaling biomolecules (cysteine, tryptophan, and methionine) is achieved at very low analyte concentration (10^-9 M). These results indicate a potential new dimension to universal SERS biosensing applications with these unique nonplasmonic defect-rich 3D nQS-Si nanostructures.

Plasmonic-induced SERS enhancement of shell-dependent Ag@Cu2O core–shell nanoparticles

In this study, we designed shell-dependent Ag@Cu₂O core–shell nanoparticles (NPs) for SERS study. Compared to Cu₂O NPs, Ag@Cu₂O core–shell NPs exhibited high SERS activity because of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) from Ag core.

Vertically standing nanoporous Al–Ag zig-zag silver nanorod arrays for highly active SERS substrates

We have demonstrated a simple de-alloying method to create nanogaps in a vertically standing zigzag AgNR arrays which act as SERS active hot spots for better SERS sensitivity.