Self‐assembled silver nanoparticle monolayer on glassy carbon: an approach to SERS substrate

In this paper, the fabrication of an active surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate by self‐assembled silver nanoparticles on a monolayer of 4‐aminophenyl‐group‐modified glassy carbon (GC) is reported. Silver nanoparticles are attached to the substrate through the electrostatic force between the negatively charged silver nanoparticles and the positively charged 4‐aminophenyl groups on GC. The active SERS substrate has been characterized by means of tapping‐mode atomic force microscopy (AFM), indicating that large quantities of silver nanoparticles are uniformly coated on the substrate. Rhodamine 6G (R6G) and p‐aminothiophenol (p‐ATP) are used as the probe molecules for SERS, resulting in high sensitivity to the SERS response, with the detection limit reaching as low as 10⁻⁹ M . This approach is easily controlled and reproducible, and more importantly, can extend the range of usable substrates to carbon‐based materials for SERS with high sensitivity. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improved performances on surface‐enhanced Raman scattering based on electrochemically roughened gold substrates modified with SiO2 nanoparticles

In this work, we use electrochemical oxidation–reduction cycles (ORC) methods to prepare surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)‐active gold substrates modified with SiO₂ nanoparticles to improve the corresponding SERS performances. Based on the modified substrates, the SERS of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) exhibits a higher intensity by 3‐fold of magnitude, as compared with that of R6G adsorbed on a SERS‐active Au substrate without the modification of SiO₂ nanoparticles. Moreover, the SERS enhancement capabilities of the modified and the unmodified Au substrates are seriously destroyed at temperatures higher than 250 and 200 °C, respectively. These results indicate that the modification of SiO₂ nanoparticles can improve the thermal stability of SERS‐active substrates. The aging in SERS intensity is also depressed on this modified Au substrate due to the contribution of SiO₂ nanoparticles to SERS effects. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A three‐dimensional surface‐enhanced Raman scattering substrate: Au nanoparticle supramolecular self‐assembly in anodic aluminum oxide template

A three‐dimensional surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate via the self‐assembly of properly sized Au nanoparticles in anodic aluminum oxide templates was designed and prepared. Au nanoparticles first underwent hydrophobic surface modification. Then, the hydrophobic Au nanoparticles self‐assembled, aggregated and formed many hot spots in the anodic aluminum oxide templates through a supramolecular interaction. We chose thiophenol as a probe molecule to evaluate the SERS enhancement ability of this three‐dimensional substrate. The enhancement factor was calculated to be 4.6 × 10⁶ under the radiation of a 785‐nm laser. By further comparing SERS signals from different points on the same substrate, we confirmed that this substrate possessed good reproducibility and could be applied for SERS detection. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Distinguishable behavior of multiple and individual rhodamine‐6G molecules on spherical Ag nanoparticles examined via time dependence of the SERS spectra

We report a surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) investigation to probe the adsorption and dynamic behavior of rhodamine 6 G (Rh6G) molecules on spherical Ag nanoparticles which were produced via laser ablation in liquid. Assembly of the colloidal Ag nanoparticles on a cover glass was used to work as SERS substrates on which high‐quality SERS spectra of Rh6G were obtained with interesting time dependence when using low and ultralow concentrations, respectively. The variation of SERS spectra over time was identified with the adsorption behavior of multiple and individual molecules on the Ag nanoparticles. Analysis indicates that the adsorbed Rh6G molecules can desorb away from the initial locations on the substrate under continuous laser excitation; simultaneously, some individual molecules can move and become trapped in the gap between the aggregated Ag nanoparticles. These investigations help to clarify the origins of forming ‘hot‐spots’ which host probe molecules and hence improve the understanding of mechanisms for single‐molecule SERS spectroscopy. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High–Yield Production of Uniform Gold Nanoparticles with Sizes from 31 to 577 nm via One‐Pot Seeded Growth and Size‐Dependent SERS Property

In this work, uniform, quasi‐spherical gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with sizes of 31–577 nm are prepared via one‐pot seeded growth with the aid of tris‐base (TB). Distinct from the seeded growth methods available in literature, the present method can be simply implemented by subsequently adding the aqueous dispersion of the 17 nm Au‐NP seeds and the aqueous solution of HAuCl₄ into the boiling aqueous TB solution. It is found that at the optimal pH range, the sizes of the final Au NPs and their concentrations are simply controlled by either the particle number of the Au seed dispersion or the concentration of the HAuCl₄ solution, while the latter enables us to produce large Au NPs at very high concentration. Moreover, as‐prepared Au NPs of various sizes are coated on glass substrates to test their surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activities by using 4‐aminothiophenol (4‐ATP) molecules as probes, which exhibit “volcano type” dependence on the Au NP sizes at fixed excitation wavelength. Furthermore, the Au NPs with sizes of ≈97 and 408 nm exhibit the largest SERS enhancement at the excitation wavelength of 633 and 785 nm, respectively.     

Effect of surface morphology on surface‐enhanced Raman scattering of 4‐aminobenzenethiol adsorbed on gold substrates

The substrate‐dependent surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of 4‐aminobenzenethiol (4‐ABT) adsorbed on Au surfaces has been investigated. 4‐ABT is one of the very unique adsorbate molecules whose SERS spectral patterns are known to be noticeably dependent on the relative contribution of chemical enhancement mechanism vs electromagnetic enhancement mechanism. The SERS spectral patterns of 4‐ABT adsorbed on gold substrates with various surface morphology have thus been analyzed in terms of the symmetry types of the vibrational modes. Almost invisibly weak b₂ type vibrational bands were observed in the SERS spectra of the 4‐ABT adsorbed on Au colloidal sol nanoparticles or commercially available Au micro‐powders because of the weak contribution of the chemical enhancement. However, greatly enhanced b₂ vibrational bands were observed in the spectra of the 4‐ABT molecules adsorbed on the synthesized Au(Zn) sponge or the electrochemically roughened Au(ORC) foil caused by the strong contribution of the chemical enhancement mechanism. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Single‐molecule surface‐enhanced Raman scattering of fullerene C60

We achieved single‐molecule surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SM‐SERS) spectra from ultralow concentrations (10⁻¹⁵ M) of fullerene C₆₀ on uniformly assembled Au nanoparticles. It was found that resonant excitation at 785 nm is a powerful tool to probe SM‐SERS in this system. The appearance of additional bands and splitting of some vibrational modes were observed because of the symmetry reduction of the adsorbed molecule and a relaxation in the surface selection rules. Time‐evolved spectral fluctuation and ‘hot spot’ dependence in the SM‐SERS spectra were demonstrated to result from the single‐molecule Raman behavior of the spherical C₆₀ on Au nanoparticles. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fabrication of Au nanorod‐coated Fe3O4 microspheres as SERS substrate for pesticide analysis by near‐infrared excitation

Au nanorods coated Fe3O4 (Fe₃O₄@NRs) microspheres were designed as functional surface‐enhanced Raman scattering substrate with a feature of magnetic property and used for detection of pesticide residues that are annually used in agriculture by near‐infrared (NIR) excitation. With this strategy, the Fe₃O₄ microspheres were synthesized by hydrothermal method and surface functionalized with polyethylenimine, and then coated with Au nanorods densely. The Raman spectra were carried out by NIR excitation and 4‐ATP was chosen as the probe molecule. The results showed a good SERS activity of the Fe₃O₄@NRs microspheres. Moreover, this substrate could be used for pesticide analysis by portable Raman spectrometer with NIR excitation. Especially, the microspheres could be transferred from pesticides contaminated fruits peel to specially cleaned glass slide with the aid of the external magnetic field, by which the strong fluorescence of the apple components can be avoided while performing the pesticide analysis of fruits peel. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

苯硫酚吸附在新型Ag-Au合金纳米粒子上的表面增强拉曼光谱研究

以柠檬酸钠同时还原制备的Ag-Au合金纳米粒子为种子,用盐酸羟胺进一步使其生长得到粒径为40～60 nm的新型Ag-Au合金纳米粒子,采用UV-Vis光谱和TEM对纳米种子和再生长后的纳米粒子分别进行表征。两种粒子的UV-Vis光谱均只观察到一个等离子体共振峰,其频率随金的摩尔分数(x_Au)增加而红移,且TEM图像表明这两种粒子的颜色均一,因此判断这两种粒子均为合金结构。以苯硫酚为探针分子,研究了该新型合金纳米粒子的表面增强拉曼光谱(SERS),结果表明吸附了苯硫酚的合金纳米粒子的紫外最大吸收峰红移,并在近红外区出现聚集体的吸收峰。在632.8 nm波长激发下,由于表面等离子体共振效应Au上的SERS信号最强,而合金纳米粒子上的SERS信号随x_Au增大而增强。     

金纳米-Nylon柔性膜基底的制备及其SERS性能研究

表面增强拉曼光谱（SERS）是目前最灵敏的分析技术之一,广泛应用于生命科学、材料科学、环境科学及分析化学等领域。SERS基底的特性决定了该技术的实际应用范围,是推动该技术发展的关键,高活性SERS基底的制备已经逐渐成为SERS研究领域的热点。为了获得最佳的拉曼信号,对具有特殊特性的SERS活性基底的需求一直很大。柔性SERS基底因具有良好的柔韧性,3D支架结构和表面可控的孔径大小等独特优势,在检测化合物和细菌等方面有很好的应用价值。Nylon(尼龙)柔性膜表面具有分级及多孔交错排列3D结构的特点,将固相萃取装置与特殊材料Nylon柔性膜相结合,通过改变金纳米颗粒的附着量以及金纳米颗粒与膜结合次数,制备了高SERS活性的金纳米-Nylon（Au-Nylon）柔性膜基底。研究表明,金纳米颗粒能很好地附着在Nylon纤维上,纳米颗粒与Nylon柔性膜表面等离子共振耦合作用,形成金纳米颗粒与Nylon纤维的复合体,Au-Nylon柔性膜基底的等离子共振吸收峰发生蓝移。首次处理后的Nylon纤维与其所附着的金纳米颗粒形成新的活性截留层,有助于使再次处理时金颗粒更好地附着在柔性膜表面,产生SERS“热点”效应,提高其SERS性能。利用结晶紫（CV）作为SERS探针分子,对Au-Nylon柔性膜基底SERS性能进行分析,发现CV探针分子在Au-Nylon柔性膜基底上的SERS强度随金纳米颗粒的附着量以及金纳米颗粒与膜结合次数而变化。对于面积为1 cm2的Au-Nylon柔性膜基底,当单次过滤金溶胶1 mL,与膜结合2次,总结合量2 mL时,CV探针分子的SERS信号最强,SERS活性最强。采用Au-Nylon柔性膜基底对浓度为2.5×10-5,1×10-5,1×10-6,5×10-7及1×10-7 mol·L-1的CV溶液进行的SERS检测,发现Au-Nylon柔性膜基底对CV探针分子检测极限达1×10-6 mol·L-1,增强因子达到1.0×104。此外,Au-Nylon柔性膜基底均匀性较好,相对平均偏差为11.8%。Au-Nylon柔性膜基底在微生物检测中,仍具有良好SERS活性,对金黄色葡萄球菌的SERS增强效果优于金溶胶。由此可见,研究中制备的Au-Nylon柔性具有良好的均一性,并具有较好的SERS活性,该方法简单且易批量制备,无论在化合物检测还是微生物检测中都具有良好的实际应用价值。     

Surface enhanced Raman scattering of molecules related to highly ordered gold cavities

We presented a controlled particles‐in‐cavity (PIC) pattern for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection. The periodic gold cavity array was fabricated by electrodeposition using highly ordered polystyrene spheres as a template. The as‐prepared gold cavities can be used as a SERS active substrate with significant spectral enhancement and reproducibility, which was evaluated by SERS signals using 4‐mercaptobenzoic acid (4‐MBA) as probe molecules. The surface of these gold cavities was further functionalized with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide molecules, which may immobilize the 4‐MBA‐modified silver nanoparticles in the gold cavity to form a PIC structure via the electrostatic interaction. We have demonstrated that there exists a pH window for the immobilization of the nanoparticles inside cavities. Therefore, the silver nanoparticles can be selectively immobilized into the functionalized gold cavities under the optimized pH value of the media. Further enhancement of the Raman scattering of the labeled molecules can be achieved due to the interconnection between the silver nanoparticles and gold cavity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering sensing on black silicon

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 × 10^?6 M (at count rate > 10² 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.     

Investigation on SERS of different phase structure TiO2 nanoparticles

In this paper, anatase and rutile TiO₂ nanoparticles as well as their mixed crystal phase structure TiO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized by a sol‐hydrothermal method, and were served as active substrates for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) study. The results show that the 4‐mercaptobenzoic acid probe molecules exhibit different degree SERS enhancements on the surface of different phase structure TiO₂ nanoparticles. The mixed crystal structure TiO₂ with an appropriate proportion of anatase and rutile phase is favourable to SERS enhancement of adsorbed molecules. These are mainly attributed to the contributions of the TiO₂‐to‐molecule charge transfer mechanism and the mixed crystal effect. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation of SERS active Ag nanoparticles encapsulated by phospholipids

A cost‐effective way of fabricating lipid‐coated surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate having reproducible high SERS activity was proposed. Ag nanoparticle embedded in 1,2‐dioleoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphocholine (DOPC) and 1,2‐dioleoyl‐3‐trimethylammonium‐propane (DOTAP) membranes was produced by direct deposition of a 5‐nm‐thick layer of Ag onto the solid‐supported phospholipid membrane, and subsequent dissolution of the Ag nanoparticle‐embedded membrane in iso‐octane allowed easy one‐pot fabrication of DOPC‐ or DOTAP‐coated Ag nanoparticles. In particular, DOTAP produced nearly monodisperse lipid‐encapsulated Ag nanoparticles (9 nm in diameter) exhibiting reproducible high SERS activity (detecting up to 10 nM of rhodamine 6G and 0.5 μM of glutathione). In addition, the process was modified to incorporate variety of Raman active molecules (rhodamine 6G, malachite green, 4‐aminothiopheonol, 4‐mercaptopyridine) into the particle‐encapsulating lipid bilayer. The DOTAP/Raman dye‐coated Ag nanoparticles also generated high SERS activity to enable potential application of the DOTAP/Raman dye‐coated Ag nanoparticles feasible in different areas. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Single‐molecule detection of thionine on aggregated gold nanoparticles by surface enhanced Raman scattering

We report observations of single‐molecule detection of thionine and its dynamic interactions on aggregated gold nanoparticle clusters using surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Spectral intensities were found to be independent of the size of Au nanoparticles studied (from 17 to 80 nm) at thionine concentration below 10⁻¹² M or at single‐molecule concentration levels. Raman line separations and, in particular, spectral fluctuations and blinking were also observed, suggesting temporal changes in single molecular motion and/or arrangements of thionine on Au nanoparticle surfaces. In contrast, by using dispersed Au nanoparticles, only ensemble SERS spectra could be observed at relatively high concentrations (> 10⁻⁸ M thionine), and spectral intensities varied with the size of Au nanoparticles. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization and optimization of AuNPs labeled by Raman reporters on glass based on silver enhancement

In this report, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) labeled by Raman reporters (AuNPs‐R6G) were assembled on glass and used as the seeds to in situ grow silver‐coated nanostructures based on silver enhancer solution, forming the nanostructures of AuNPs‐R6G@Ag, which were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV‐visible spectroscopy. More importantly, the obtained silver‐coated nanostructures can be used as a surface enhancement Raman scattering (SERS) substrate. The different SERS activities can be controlled by the silver deposition time and assembly time of AuNPs‐R6G on glass. The results indicate that the maximum SERS activity could be obtained on AuNPs‐R6G when these nanostructures were assembled on glass for 2 h with silver deposition for 2 min. In addition, the reproducibility of SERS signal on the fabricated nanostructures is very high with the intensity error lower than 15%, which has great promise as a probe for application in bioanalysis. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Drawing‐fabrication of multifarious nanoplasmonic platform on PLLA paper for optimized SERS performance

A simple and efficient pen‐on‐paper approach is designed to prepare hydrophilic surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)‐active lines by directly writing on a piece of hydrophobic poly (L‐lactic acid) nanofibrous paper using a pen filled with plasmonic nanoparticle ink. The pen‐on‐paper‐line SERS substrate exhibits hydrophobic–hydrophilic focusing effects together with negligible background interference, high sensitivity, good reproducibility, and long‐term stability. Furthermore, just by drawing three different plasmonic nanoparticles, the SERS activity is optimized for different molecules. Considering the complex factors involved in SERS effects of real analytes, our results provide an efficient strategy to produce optimized SERS substrates with multiple plasmonic nanoparticles. Copyright © 2016 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.     

Biocompatible gold/silver nanostars for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering

Raman‐enhancing properties of chitosan (CS)‐coated gold/silver nanostars (Au/AgNSs) were demonstrated by using them as a surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) probe. Based on the energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy element distribution maps and highly enhanced SERS spectra, we suggest that the incorporation of silver into the NS tips leads to a stronger SERS behavior. The SERS spectra of the proteins adsorbed on the NS surface greatly differ from their respective Raman spectra in both the band positions and relative intensities, indicating that the protein molecules penetrate through the CS coating layer and interact closely with the NS surface. Raman and SERS spectra of Chlamydia trachomatis protease/proteasomelike activity factor are reported for the first time, demonstrating the potential of these NSs for the development of a diagnosis method for Chlamydia based on SERS. The results showed a good SERS performance of the Au/AgNSs and their potential for SERS detection of biomolecules. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A hybrid substrate for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy: coupling metal nanoparticles to strong localised fields on a micro‐structured surface

Electromagnetic coupling between localised plasmons on metal nanoparticles and the strong localised fields on a micro‐structured surface is demonstrated as a means to increase the enhancement factor in surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. Au nanoparticles of diameter 20 nm were deposited on a micro‐structured Au surface consisting of a periodic array of square‐based pyramidal pits (Klarite). The spectra of 4‐aminothiophenol (4‐ATP) were compared before and after deposition of Au nanoparticles on the micro‐structured surface. The addition of Au nanoparticles is shown to provide significantly higher signal intensities, with improvements of the order of ∼10³ per molecule compared with spectra obtained from the micro‐structured substrate alone. This hybrid approach offers promise for combining nanoparticles with micro‐ and nano‐structured surfaces in order to design SERS substrates with higher sensitivities. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.