A rapid technique for synthesis of metallic nanoparticles for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Incubator‐shaker method was used as a rapid technique to fabricate an efficient surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate by combination of zero valent nanostructures and carbon fiber, which shows dramatic Raman enhancement of nitroaromatic molecule. The fabricated Ag nanoparticle on carbon‐fiber substrate (Ag–C) was used as an efficient SERS substrate to detect the adsorbed 2, 4‐dinitrotoluene molecules with a detection limit of 50 ppm. In advent, our developed SERS substrates could have great potential in detecting other nitro‐aromatic based‐explosive materials, such as 2, 4, 6‐trinitrotoluene molecules. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy for trace‐level detection of explosives

The detection of explosives and their associated compounds for security screening is an active area of research and a wide variety of detection methods are involved in this very challenging area. Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy is one of the most sensitive tools for the detection of molecules adsorbed on nano‐scale roughened metal surface. Moreover, SERS combines high sensitivity with the observation of vibrational spectra of species, giving complete information on the molecular structure of material under study. In this paper, SERS was applied to the detection of very small quantities of explosives adsorbed on industrially made substrates. The spectra were acquired with a compact Raman spectrometer. Usually, a high signal‐to‐noise (S/N) spectrum, suitable for identification of explosive molecules down to few hundreds of picograms, was achieved within 30 s. Our measurements suggest that it is possible to exploit SERS using a practical detection instrument for routine analysis. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On‐line surface enhanced Raman spectroscopic detection in a recyclable Au@SiO2 modified glass capillary

A facile method was developed to fabricate a high sensitive, reproducible and recyclable surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) active glass capillary. The Au nanoparticles were synthesized through a seed‐mediated growth approach and then self‐assembled onto the inner wall of glass capillaries. The attached Au nanoparticles were homogeneously coated with thin silica shell by using the silane coupling agent to functionalize the Au surface. By using thiophenol (TP) as SERS probe molecules, the substrate exhibited robust SERS effects. The adsorbed SERS probe molecules could be rapidly and completely removed away by flowing sodium borohydride solution and thus to obtain a refresh Au@SiO₂ film‐coated substrate for the cyclic detection on different species. The on‐line detection of TP and malachite green (MG) with different concentrations was performed in the flowing system. The intensities of SERS signals were dependent on concentrations of the detected molecules. The results indicated that the SERS‐active substrate has potential applications on the on‐line qualitative and quasi‐quantitative analysis. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Raman and SERS study of metoclopramide at different pH values

Conjugate acid–base forms of the drug metoclopramide were investigated by Raman spectroscopy in aqueous solutions and by surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), when the molecules were adsorbed on colloidal silver surfaces. Raman spectra were recorded at pH values below 8, metoclopramide being poorly water soluble at higher pH values. The SERS spectra of metoclopramide were recorded in the 3–11 pH range, even in spite of its low solubility at basic pH values. The Raman and SERS spectra were assigned by means of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. By monitoring several SERS marker bands, the protonated, neutral or the coexistence of both molecular species adsorbed on the colloidal silver particles could be evidenced. The adsorbate orientation was deduced to be perpendicular to the metal surface for the protonated molecular species and tilted for the neutral metoclopramide molecular species. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spectroscopic studies of folic acid adsorbed on various metal substrates: does the type of substrate play an essential role in temperature dependence of spectral features?

Folic acid is an essential nutrient involved in biosynthetic processes and cell growth. From an analytical point of view, folic acid can be used as an active part of sensors for substances with affinity to folic acid molecules. In biological environment, sensors can be exposed to temperatures that differ from room temperature. Thus, it is important to describe the influence of temperature on adsorbed molecules, especially on orientation of molecules towards the metal surface and on stability of adsorbed layer. Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy is a useful tool for investigation of architecture of molecular layers adsorbed on metal surfaces because the spectral features change with varying orientation of molecules towards the surface, as well as with changes in interactions among adsorbed molecules. In this study, folic acid was adsorbed on electrochemically prepared Au and Ag substrates, and both these substrates were exposed to temperature changes according to the temperature program consisting of stabilization, the substrate temperature at 10°C, at 50°C and back at 10°C. Decomposition of adsorbed folic acid at 50°C can be excluded on both metals, though the metal (Ag or Au) influences the arrangement of adsorbed molecules and its temperature‐induced changes. In the case of Ag substrate, significant and irreversible increase of certain Stokes band intensities is observed, whereas in the case of Au substrate, the band intensity increase is negligible. Experimental spectra were analyzed using principal component analysis and supplemented with calculated data for folic acid molecule adsorbed on small metal cluster using density functional theory. Moreover, it was proved that changes of surface plasmon resonance and collision frequency of Ag substrate are negligible in the studied temperature interval. Slight re‐orientation of adsorbed folic acid molecules was identified as the main source of band intensity variation in the spectra of folic acid adsorbed on Ag. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Adsorption of 1,2,4‐triazole on a silver electrode: surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory studies

The pH‐dependent surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of 1,2,4‐triazole adsorbed on silver electrode and normal Raman (NR) spectra of this compound in the aqueous solutions were investigated. The observed bands in the NR and SERS spectra were assigned with the help of density functional theory calculations for model molecules in the neutral, anionic, and cationic forms and their complexes with silver. The Raman wavenumbers and intensities were computed at the optimized molecular geometry. Vibrational assignments of the SERS and NR spectra are provided by calculated potential energy distributions. The combination of experimental SERS results and density functional theory calculations provide an insight into the molecular structure of adlayers formed by 1,2,4‐triazole on a silver surface at varying pH values and enable the determination of molecular orientation with respect to the surface. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

温度对苯甲酸衍生物在银胶体系中的SERS的影响

本文报道了温度对银胶体系中的苯甲酸衍生物(PHBA,MHBA,SA)水溶液的表面增强拉曼散射(SERS)的影响。将苯甲酸衍生物水溶液与银溶胶混合后加热至沸腾,再冷却至室温(20℃左右)后测得SERS谱。将其与未加热混合液的SERS谱相比较发现这些分子加热前后的SERS谱中存在许多明显的差异。这种差异可能来自于苯甲酸衍生物在银胶颗粒表面的吸附方式的变化以及吸附的分子与溶液中残留的柠檬酸根在加热作用下发生的相互影响共同作用的结果。     

维生素K3的表面增强拉曼光谱研究

首次报道了维生素K3 (VK3 )分子的常规拉曼光谱 (NRS)及该分子在活性衬底银镜上的表面增强拉曼散射 (SERS) ,并对它的拉曼特征谱带进行了初步的指认和归属。通过对比VK3 的常规拉曼光谱和SERS谱 ,发现VK3 分子吸附在银表面后拉曼散射强度被大大增强了。另外 ,VK3 的羰基与银粒子发生电荷转移后形成负离子自由基 ,碳氧双键打开。受VK3 分子吸附在银镜表面的影响 ,萘环结构发生了很大的扰动 ,导致一些拉曼特征峰产生位移 ,环变形振动对应的拉曼散射强度得到了增强。这些研究结果为SERS技术今后对VK3进行药物检测以及痕量分析方面的应用提供了依据。     

银纳米立方体的合成及其SERS活性研究

用乙二醇还原硝酸银,以聚乙烯吡咯烷酮作表面活性剂合成了银纳米立方体晶粒,并以吡啶和SCN-作为探针分子初步研究了银纳米立方体晶粒组装体系的SERS活性。当探针分子吸附于银纳米立方体晶粒上时,吡啶和SCN-的谱峰强度明显增强,表明银纳米立方体晶粒可望作为SERS活性基底。通过研究探针分子的SERS强度与粒子尺度关系,也有望用于表征银纳米立方体晶粒的光学性质。     

Nanostructured gold surfaces as reproducible substrates for surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Raman spectroscopy is a common tool for the qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis of molecules. Although the unique identification of molecules is possible via their vibrational lines, high concentrations (mmol/l) are needed for their nonresonant excitation owing to their low scattering cross section. The intensity of the Raman spectra is amplified by the use of the surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique. While the use of silver sols results only in a limited reproducibility of the Raman line intensities, lithographically designed, nanostructured gold surfaces used as SERS‐active substrates should, in principle, combine the high sensitivity with better reproducibility. For this purpose, we have produced gratings of gold dots on Si(001) surfaces by means of electron beam lithography. Qualitative and quantitative investigations of crystal violet (CV) performed using nanostructured surfaces give high reproducibility and enhancement of the Raman lines. The substrates are reusable after cleaning; all results presented could be obtained from a single SERS substrate. For the experiments very low laser powers were used. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Identification of species formed after pyridine adsorption on iron,cobalt, nickel and silver electrodes by SERS and theoretical calculations

The adsorption of pyridine (py) on Fe, Co, Ni and Ag electrodes was studied using surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) to gain insight into the nature of the adsorbed species. The wavenumber values and relative intensities of the SERS bands were compared to the normal Raman spectrum of the chemically prepared transition metal complexes. Raman spectra of model clusters M₄(py) (four metal atoms bonded to one py moiety) and M₄(α‐pyridil) where M = Ag, Fe, Co or Ni were calculated by density functional theory (DFT) and used to interpret the experimental SERS results. The similarity of the calculated M₄(py) spectra with the experimental SERS spectra confirm the molecular adsorption of py on the surface of the metallic electrodes. All these results exclude the formation of adsorbed α‐pyridil species, as suggested previously. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

对巯基苯胺在拉曼免疫检测中的应用

文章以对巯基苯胺(PATP)作为标记分子,研究其在金电极上的吸附.发现对巯基苯胺分子是采用苯环直立于电极表面的吸附方式吸附于电极表面的.用于免疫检测时,对巯基苯胺分子先通过直立吸附的方法达到满单层吸附,然后通过胺基与抗体分子的羧基相连,形成一种复层结构,再与基底结合,得到固相抗体-抗原-标记抗体"三明治"结构.借助抗体上标记金纳米粒子的SERS信号达到单组分生物免疫检测的目的.     

石墨烯-银纳米颗粒复合结构制备工艺优化及表面增强拉曼光谱特性

在石墨烯-Ag纳米颗粒复合结构表面增强拉曼散射（SERS）基底常规制备工艺的基础上,提出了采用偶联剂吸附的方法来改善Ag纳米颗粒在目标基底上分布的均匀性;采用双层聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯（PMMA）来转移石墨烯,以减少石墨烯表面的缺陷;采用退火处理的方法来降低SERS基底的拉曼背景噪声,从而提高拉曼光谱的对比度。实验结果表明,采用优化制备工艺得到的复合结构SERS基底均匀性有较大提高,石墨烯G峰和2D峰的增强拉曼光谱对比度分别提高了54.9%和64.3%,罗丹明6G（R6G）分子在774和1 363 cm-1处的拉曼光谱强度随浓度变化关系的拟合优度（R2）分别达到了0.997 5和0.986 7。     

打印技术制备表面增强拉曼散射活性基底的研究进展

表面增强拉曼散射(SERS)是一种先进的表面分析技术,可以极大提高吸附在金属表面或附近分子的拉曼散射信号。SERS技术由于其快速准确、灵敏度高、选择性好、样品制备要求低等特点,成为当前的研究热点,在化学、食品、生物、医疗等领域展现出重要的应用前景。而利用SERS技术作为一种常规分析和诊断工具面临的一个主要挑战是如何制备均匀、可重复、稳定的活性基底。打印技术操作简单、效率高、成本低,有助于设计等离激元纳米结构。通过优化“热点”增强电磁场,获得重复性好、稳定性高、增强能力强的SERS活性基底。近年来,印刷技术逐渐被应用于SERS基底的制备。主要综述了制备SERS基底的几种常用印刷技术,包括喷墨印刷、凹版印刷、丝网印刷等。分析了衬底表面润湿性、干燥温度、油墨粘度、表面张力、溶剂等因素对SERS性能的影响。总结了印刷技术制备SERS基底的研究进展,并对其潜在应用和未来发展作了展望。     

腺嘌呤、嘌呤和四并苯的表面增强拉曼光谱随温度的可逆变化

用硝酸腐蚀法处理得到了具有表面增强拉曼光谱 (SERS)活性的银表面。在表面温度于 - 1 90℃～30℃变化时 (上升和下降 ) ,分别测定了吸附在银表面上的腺嘌呤、嘌呤和四并苯的表面增强拉曼光谱 ,观察到一系列有关拉曼峰频率和强度的可逆变化。结果表明 ,温度降低 ,吸附分子SERS中受电磁增强机制作用的振动的拉曼位移发生蓝移 ,同时峰强度也有变化 ;而受化学增强机制作用的振动的拉曼位移则不受温度的影响。温度的变化导致分子平面可弯曲分子在金属表面的取向发生变化 ,如腺嘌呤和嘌呤在高温下取直立态 ,而平面的对称分子 (如四并苯 )在表面上的取向则不受温度的影响。     

An acoustically enhanced gold film Raman sensor on a lithium niobate substrate

The surface enhanced Raman scattering effect has shown immense potential for detecting trace amounts of explosive vapor molecules. To date, efforts to produce a commercially available, reliable SERS sensor have been impeded by an inability to separate the electromagnetic enhancement produced by the metallic nanostructure from other signal enhancing effects. Here, we show a new Raman sensor that uses surface acoustic waves (SAWs) to produce controllable surface structures on gold films deposited on LiNbO₃ substrates that modulate the Raman signal of a target compound (thiophenol) adsorbed on the films. We demonstrate that this sensor can dynamically control the Raman signal simply by changing the SAW's amplitude, allowing the Raman signal enhancement factor to be directly measured with no variation in the concentration of the target compound. The physically adsorbed molecules can be removed from the sensor without physical cleaning or damage, making it possible to reuse it for real‐time Raman detection. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Use of atomic layer deposition to improve the stability of silver substrates for in situ,high‐temperature SERS measurements

A method to stabilize silver surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates for in situ, high‐temperature applications is demonstrated. Silver island films grown by thermal evaporation were coated with a thin layer (from 2.5 to 5 nm) of alumina by atomic layer deposition (ALD), which protects and stabilizes the SERS‐active substrate without eliminating the Raman enhancement. The temporal stability of the alumina‐coated silver island films was examined by measurement of the Raman intensity of rhodamine 6G molecules deposited onto bare and alumina‐coated silver substrates over the course of 34 days. The coated substrates showed almost no change in SERS enhancement, while the uncoated substrates exhibited a significant decrease in Raman intensity. To demonstrate the feasibility of the alumina‐coated silver substrate as a probe of adsorbates and reactions at elevated temperatures, an in situ SERS measurement of calcium nitrate tetrahydrate on bare and alumina‐coated silver was performed at temperatures ranging from 25 to 400 °C. ALD deposition of an ultrathin alumina layer significantly improved the thermal stability of the SERS substrate, thus enabling in situ detection of the dehydration of the calcium nitrate tetrahydrate at an elevated temperature. Despite some loss of Raman signal, the coated substrate exhibited greater thermal stability compared to the uncoated substrate. These experiments show that ALD can be used to synthesize stable SERS substrates capable of measuring adsorbates and processes at high temperature. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improved performance of surface‐enhanced Raman scattering on silver substrates prepared in nitric acid solutions

In this work, we propose a new electrochemical method to prepare surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)‐active silver substrates in nitric acid solutions. Experimental results indicate that the SERS intensity of adsorbed Rhodamine 6G (R6G) can be significantly increased, as compared with that of R6G adsorbed on a SERS‐active Ag substrate prepared by an electrochemical method in a chloride‐containing solution, which was generally employed in the literature. Moreover, the SERS of R6G on the newly developed substrate (prepared in a nitric acid solution) still performs well at a high temperature of 250 °C. However, the enhancement capability of the SERS‐active substrate prepared in a chloride‐containing solution is seriously destroyed at temperatures higher than 150 °C. Further investigations indicate that the oxidation states of roughened Ag substrates prepared in nitric acid solutions under different experiment conditions have less influence on the corresponding SERS performances. Instead, different surface morphologies of roughened Ag substrates and different contents of nitrogen‐containing dopping ions on the roughened Ag substrates demonstrate significant effects on the corresponding SERS performances. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

层析滤纸拉曼光谱特性研究

为了研究层析滤纸在表面增强拉曼光谱和层析技术联用中的影响。在785 nm激发波长下分别测试了层析滤纸, 涂布银胶后层析滤纸的拉曼特征谱, 以及氧化乐果在层析滤纸上的拉曼光谱和表面增强拉曼光谱(SERS)。结果表明, 层析滤纸在800~1500 cm-1光谱区域具有丰富的拉曼特征峰, 分析认为主要来源于纤维素, 并对其进行了归属; 涂布银胶后, 由于银颗粒的作用, 层析滤纸拉曼强度整体降低, 并发生特征峰相对强度的变化; 同时, 氧化乐果在层析滤纸上的SERS谱也表明涂布银胶能够有效抑制层析滤纸拉曼特征峰, 增强待测物质拉曼强度, 但在800~1500 cm-1光谱区域仍需考虑层析滤纸的影响。     

激光拉曼光谱研究苏丹红Ⅲ分子的吸附方式

用近红外傅里叶拉曼光谱研究了苏丹红Ⅲ分子在覆银纳米颗粒的抛光铝片表面上的吸附行为,得到了一系列高质量的增强拉曼散射（SERS）谱图。对苏丹红Ⅲ分子在银胶溶液、覆银滤纸、覆银粗糙铝片上的SERS谱进行比较,结果表明苏丹红Ⅲ分子在各基底上与银纳米颗粒表现出不同的吸附行为。在银胶溶液中,苏丹红Ⅲ分子主要是通过N=N双键吸附在银纳米颗粒上的;在沉积了银纳米颗粒的滤纸表面,同样地,主要是由N=N双键吸附;而在沉积了银纳米颗粒的抛光铝片表面,不仅N=N双键参与了吸附,苏丹红Ⅲ分子中的羟基与银颗粒有相互作用,并且铝片上的氧化铝颗粒也可能吸附了苏丹红Ⅲ分子。