Tunable SERS using gold nanoaggregates on an elastomeric substrate

Silver-Decorated Silicon Nanostructures: Fabrication and Characterization of Nanoscale Terraces as an Efficient SERS-Active Substrate

Rich and highly dense surface-enhanced Raman (SERS) hotspots available in the SERS-active platform are highly anticipated in SERS measurements. In this work, conventional silicon wafer was treated to have wide exposure to terraces available within the silicon nanostructures (Si-NSs). High-resolution field emission scanning electron microscopic (FESEM) investigations confirmed that the terraces were several microns wide and spread over different steps. These terraces were further decorated with silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) of different shapes and sizes to achieve SERS-active hotspots. Based on more than 150 events, a histogram of the size distribution of Ag-NPs indicated a relatively narrow size distribution, 29.64 ± 4.66 nm. The coverage density was estimated to be ~4 × 10¹⁰ cm^-2. The SERS-activity of Ag-NPs -decorated Si-NSs was found to be enhanced with reference to those obtained in pristine Si-NSs. Finite difference time domain models were developed to support experimental observations in view of electromagnetic (EM) near-field distributions. Three archetype models; (i) dimer of same constituent Ag-NPs, (ii) dimer of different constituent Ag-NPs, and (iii) linear trimer of different constituent Ag-NPs were developed. EM near-field distributions were extracted at different incident polarizations. Si-NSs are well-known to facilitate light confinement, and such confinement can be cascaded within different Ag-NPs-decorated terraces of Si-NSs.

Nanoscale Imaging of Interstitial-dependent Optical Confinement through Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy

Exploitation of optical confinement in nanoscale unveils a wealth of information about the structure, optical, electronic, and chemical properties of the materials. However, realizing such confinement by optical microscopy and spectroscopic techniques have remained challenging due to fundamental formulation that is related to the diffraction theory of light. A state-of-art technique, known as near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) has the ability to break such diffraction limitation, as the spatial resolution depends on the near-field probe diameter and the distance between the probe and the surface. A home-built apertured NSOM (a-NSOM) developed in the beginning of NSOM discovery facilitated to investigate N-particles nano-assemblies, where N is two or more. Through surface-sensitive spectroscopy such as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface-enhanced two-photon-induced photoluminescence (TPI-PL), a correlated optometrology was revealed by taking snapshots of shear-force topography, SERS and TPI-PL simultaneously in single-channel and multi-channel detection system. Here in this "Personal Account" we have decorated near-field optical confinement observed by a-NSOM in three constructs; archetype dimer, nano-assembly of few nanoparticles and long-range two-dimensional (2D) nano-assembly. In the case of dimer, optical confinement was localized and interstitial-dependent whereas coalescence of nearby confinements was reported in few particles nanoaggregate. In the case of 2D nano-assembly, optical confinements were more complex because a nanoparticle was surrounded by six or more adjacent nanoparticles. FDTD simulation were carried out to support and validate the experimental observations. Such observations in nanoscale taking snapshots of nanometric topography and surface-sensitive spectroscopic signal not only inspire us to understand optical confinements in near-field, but also implement the concept in designing miniaturized and efficient system.

Silver Nanoparticles, Nanoneedles and Nanorings: Impact of Electromagnetic Near-Field on Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

Dimension of plasmonic nanostructures does matter in localizing electromagnetic (EM) field and enhanced surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-activity. Zero-dimensional (0D) -, one-dimensional (1D) - and two-dimensional (2D) - plasmonic nanostructures are...

Synergistic SERS Enhancement in GaN-Ag Hybrid System toward Label-Free and Multiplexed Detection of Antibiotics in Aqueous Solutions

Noble metal-based surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has enabled the simple and efficient detection of trace-amount molecules via significant electromagnetic enhancements at hot spots. However, the small Raman cross-section of various analytes forces the use of a Raman reporter for specific surface functionalization, which is time-consuming and limited to low-molecular-weight analytes. To tackle these issues, a hybrid SERS substrate utilizing Ag as plasmonic structures and GaN as charge transfer enhancement centers is presented. By the conformal printing of Ag nanowires onto GaN nanopillars, a highly sensitive SERS substrate with excellent uniformity can be fabricated. As a result, remarkable SERS performance with a substrate enhancement factor of 1.4 × 1011 at 10 fM for rhodamine 6G molecules with minimal spot variations can be realized. Furthermore, quantification and multiplexing capabilities without surface treatments are demonstrated by detecting harmful antibiotics in aqueous solutions. This work paves the way for the development of a highly sensitive SERS substrate by constructing complex metal-semiconductor architectures.

Plasmonic Pollen Grain Nanostructures: A Three-Dimensional Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS)-Active Substrate

A new route has been developed to design plasmonic pollen grain-like nanostructures (PGNSs) as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active substrate. The nanostructures consisting of silver (Ag) and gold (Au) nanoparticles along with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoclusters as spacers were found highly SERS-active. The morphology of PGNSs and those obtained in the intermediate stage along with each elemental evolution has been investigated by a high-resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy. The optical band gaps and crystal structure have been identified by UV-vis absorption and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) measurements, respectively. For PGNSs specimen, three distinct absorption bands related to constituent elements Ag, Au, and ZnO were observed, whereas XRD peaks confirmed the existence of Ag, Au, and ZnO within the composition of PGNSs. SERS-activity of PGNSs was confirmed using Rhodamine 6G (R6G) as Raman-active dyes. Air-cooled solid-state laser kits of 532 nm were used as excitation sources in SERS measurements. SERS enhancement factor was estimated for PGNSs specimen and was found as high as 3.5×10⁶ . Finite difference time domain analysis was carried out to correlate the electromagnetic (EM) near-field distributions with the experiment results achieved under this investigation. EM near-field distributions at different planes were extracted for s-, p- and 45° of incident polarizations. EM near-field distributions for such nanostructures as well as current density distributions under different circumstances were demonstrated and plausible scenarios were elucidated given SERS enhancements. Such generic fabrication route as well as correlated investigation is not only indispensable to realize the potential of SERS applications but also unveil the underneath plasmonic characteristics of complex SERS-active nanostructures.

Nanoassembly of gold nanoparticles: An active substrate for size-dependent surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Nanoassembly of gold nanoparticles has been achieved through a simple and facile process without using any surfactants or linkers. Atomic force microscopy confirmed assemblies of several tens of microns, whereas tiny interparticle gaps less than 5 nm was revealed by scanning electron microscopy. Such nanoassemblies with tiny interparticle gaps were found to be highly surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active with enhancement factor in the order of 6 to 8. Contrary to usual trends in nanoparticles size dependent SERS enhancement, such 2D nanoassemblies of different sizes of nanoparticles showed relatively broadened SERS enhancement distribution. Finite difference time domain (FDTD) analysis was employed to highlight the EM-field distribution in connection to such giant SERS enhancement. In depth and hotsite-wise analysis on EM near-field distributions for monomers, dimers and septamers of 50 nm of gold nanoparticles were carried out at three specific incident polarizations (i.e. s-, 45° and p-polarizations). At s- and p-polarization the strongest hotsites were having the EM near-field distributions in the range of 124.8 and 133.3 V/m respectively with lower population of confined EM near-fields. Such correlated investigation will be indispensable to understand and interpret hierarchical and functional nanoassemblies from its unit nanoparticle blocks for the advances of technological breakthroughs.

Manipulating "Hot Spots" from Nanometer to Angstrom: Toward Understanding Integrated Contributions of Molecule Number and Gap Size for Ultrasensitive Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Detection

Narrower gaps between metal nanoparticles (so-called "hot spots") in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates contribute to stronger electromagnetic (EM) enhancement; however, the accompanying steric effect hinders analyte molecules entering hot spots to access the benefit. To comprehensively understand integrated contributions of the gap size and molecule number accommodated in hot spots and then optimize design of SERS substrates, the thermal shrinking method was employed to manipulate hot spots and the "hottest zone" was defined to evaluate the integrated contributions to SERS intensity of the two factors. In the conventional shrink-adsorption mode, the contributions of the molecule number and gap size are competitive when the gap width is comparable with the target molecule size, which leads to oscillating behavior of SERS intensity versus gap size, and it is analyte molecule size dependent. This result suggests that engineering hot spots should be target molecule directed to achieve ultrasensitive detection. In the proposed adsorption-shrink mode, the contributions of the molecule number and gap size are synergistic, which makes the detection ability of the adsorption-shrink mode attains a single-molecule (SM) level. Excellent performance of the adsorption-shrink SERS strategy benefits detection of trace level pollutants in complex environments. Detection ranges for contaminants with different metal affinity, such as thiram, malachite green (MG), and formaldehyde, are as low as parts per billion, even down to parts per trillion.

Tunable Coffee Ring Formation on Polycarbonate Nanofiber Film for Sensitive SERS Detection of Phenylalanine in Urine

A new method based on the coffee ring effect was developed for improving the sensitivity, simplicity, and robustness of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) in determining trace levels of analytes. In this method, a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-stabilized silver colloidal (AgC) solution was first prepared and mixed with a sample solution. Following deposition of the mixture solution on a solid substrate with a rough surface, a coffee ring was formed once the solvent had evaporated. The formation of a coffee ring not only concentrated the analyte but also reduced the space between silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to strengthen the hotspot effect, thereby considerably improving SERS sensitivity. To strengthen the coffee ring effect further, the surface roughness of the solid support and PVP content of the AgC solution were investigated. The results indicated that an increase in surface roughness reduced the size of the coffee rings, whereas the addition of PVP not only stabilized the AgNPs but also improved the compactness of the coffee rings. When applying the proposed method to determine the phenylalanine (Phe) level in urine for rapid screening of the phenylketonuria disorder, strong chemical interference from uric acid (UA), which is a major component in urine, was observed. To minimize the interference from UA, ZnO powder was applied to the urine sample to adsorb UA prior to SERS detection. After cleaning by using ZnO, the SERS signals of Phe were revealed for quantitative purposes. Under the optimized conditions, both the sensitivity and reproducibility of SERS measurement considerably improved. Quantitative analyses revealed that the developed method is highly feasible for the rapid determination of Phe in real samples.

Toward Flexible Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Sensors for Point-of-Care Diagnostics

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy provides a noninvasive and highly sensitive route for fingerprint and label-free detection of a wide range of molecules. Recently, flexible SERS has attracted increasingly tremendous research interest due to its unique advantages compared to rigid substrate-based SERS. Here, the latest advances in flexible substrate-based SERS diagnostic devices are investigated in-depth. First, the intriguing prospect of point-of-care diagnostics is briefly described, followed by an introduction to the cutting-edge SERS technique. Then, the focus is moved from conventional rigid substrate-based SERS to the emerging flexible SERS technique. The main part of this report highlights the recent three categories of flexible SERS substrates, including actively tunable SERS, swab-sampling strategy, and the in situ SERS detection approach. Furthermore, other promising means of flexible SERS are also introduced. The flexible SERS substrates with low-cost, batch-fabrication, and easy-to-operate characteristics can be integrated into portable Raman spectroscopes for point-of-care diagnostics, which are conceivable to penetrate global markets and households as next-generation wearable sensors in the near future.

SERS-enhanced piezoplasmonic graphene composite for biological and structural strain mapping

Thin-film optical strain sensors have the ability to map small deformations with spatial and temporal resolution and do not require electrical interrogation. This paper describes the use of graphene decorated with metallic nanoislands for sensing of tensile deformations of less than 0.04% with a resolution of less than 0.002%. The nanoisland-graphene composite films contain gaps between the nanoislands, which when functionalized with benzenethiolate behave as hot spots for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Mechanical strain increases the sizes of the gaps; this increase attenuates the electric field, and thus attenuates the SERS signal. This compounded, SERS-enhanced "piezoplasmonic" effect can be quantified using a plasmonic gauge factor, and is among the most sensitive mechanical sensors of any type. Since the graphene-nanoisland films are both conductive and optically active, they permit simultaneous electrical stimulation of myoblast cells and optical detection of the strains produced by the cellular contractions.

Periodic array of regular Ag nanoparticle trimers: a reliable polarization-independent surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrate

A large-area periodic array of regular Ag nanoparticle trimers was fabricated, it possesses polarization-independent SERS performance.

Plasmonic Ag Core-Satellite Nanostructures with a Tunable Silica-Spaced Nanogap for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

Plasmonic Ag core-satellite nanostructures were synthesized by utilizing the ultrathin silica shell as a spacer to generate a tunable nanogap between the Ag core and satellites. To synthesize the nanoparticles, Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) with a diameter of ∼60 nm were synthesized as cores, on which Raman dyes were adsorbed and then tunable ultrathin silica shells from 2.0 to 6.5 nm were coated, followed by the deposition of Ag NPs as satellites onto the silica surface. The relationships between the SERS signal and the important parameters, including the satellite diameter and the nanogap distance, were studied by experimental methods and theoretical calculations. The maximum SERS intensity of the core-satellite nanoparticles was over 14.6 times stronger than that of the isolated Raman-encoded Ag/PATP@SiO2 NP. The theoretical calculations indicated that the local maximum calculated enhancement factor (EF) of the hot spots with a 2.0 nm nanogap was 9.5 × 10(5). The well-defined Ag core-satellite nanostructures have a high structural uniformity and an anomalously strong electromagnetic enhancement for highly quantitative SERS, leading to a better understanding of hot spot formation and providing new insights into the optimal design and synthesis of the hot SERS nanostructures in a controlled manner.

Facile and generalized encapsulations of inorganic nanocrystals with nitrogen-doped carbonaceous coating for multifunctionality

A simple strategy toward versatile encapsulations of inorganic nanocrystals, through a green hydrothermal treatment of commercial polyurethane sponge, was developed. This approach enables us to realize a general method to form a surface-adherent, N-doped coating with a controllable thickness for well-defined structures. These composites exhibit active properties in optical applications and energy storage. For example, N-doped carbon encapsulated Fe2O3 nanoboxes show a very high discharge capacity and outstanding cyclability, and the capacity still remained at 1086 mA h g(-1) at a current density of 400 mA g(-1) after 200 cycles. Our results described here provide a simple surface coating technique to design various functional nanostructures.

Anisotropic gold nanoassembly: a study on polarization-dependent and polarization-selective surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Anisotropic nanoassembly of gold nanoparticles as SERS-active substrate self-depicting a tiny gaps at interstitials responsible for giant SERS enhancement.

Metal–elastomer nanostructures for tunable SERS and easy microfluidic integration

Stretchable plasmonic nanostructures constituted by Ag nanoparticles on flexible elastomeric matrices are synthesized and used as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering on silvered porous alumina templates: role of multipolar surface plasmon resonant modes

Nanostructured silver films with different thicknesses were prepared by vapor deposition onto the surface of the anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template to be used as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) active substrates.