Nanoporous Ag–GaN thin films prepared by metal‐assisted electroless etching and deposition as three‐dimensional substrates for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering

Three‐dimensional (3D) nanoporous gallium nitride (PGaN) scaffolds are fabricated by Pt‐assisted electroless hydrofluoric acid (HF) etching of crystalline GaN followed by in situ electroless deposition of Ag nanostructures onto the interior surfaces of the nanopores, yielding a large surface area substrate for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The resulting 3D SERS‐active substrates have been optimized by varying reaction parameters and starting material concentration, exhibiting enhanced Raman signals 10–100× more intense than either (1) sputtered Ag‐coated porous GaN or (2) Ag‐coated planar GaN. The increase in SERS signal is attributed to a combination of the large surface area and the inherent transparency of PGaN in the visible spectral region. Overall, Ag‐decorated PGaN is a promising platform for high sensitivity SERS detection and chemical analysis, particularly for reaction and metabolic products that can be trapped inside the highly anisotropic nanoscale pores of PGaN. The potential of this sampling mode is illustrated by the ability to acquire Raman spectra of adenine down to 5 fmol. Additionally, correlated SERS and laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry spectra can be acquired from same sample spot without further preparation, opening new possibilities for the investigation of surface‐bound molecules with substantially enhanced information content. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of surface‐enhanced Raman scattering in cell analysis

In surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), the scattered intensity is drastically increased due to a resonant interaction with surface plasmons of coin metals. SERS is a nondestructive spectroscopic method applied also to biomedical samples. It inherits the advantages of normal Raman spectroscopy and at the same time overcomes the inherent low sensitivity problem. These properties endow SERS with exciting opportunities to be a successful analytical tool for cell analysis. SERS can be used to detect only molecules located on or close to the metallic nanostructures which can support surface plasmon resonances for the enhancement of the Raman signals. Therefore, these metallic nanostructures play a key role in the application of SERS in cell analysis. By incorporating the SERS substrates into the biosamples, molecular structural probing and cellular imaging become possible. In the past decade, analysts worldwide have developed many schemes to study the chemical changes and component distribution in cells by using SERS. In this paper, the application of SERS in cell analysis is reviewed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An improved self‐assembly gold colloid film as surface‐enhanced Raman substrate for detection of trace‐level polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in aqueous solution

To detect trace‐level polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, some investigations of an improved self‐assembly method are carried out using gold colloid films for the preparation of the surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)‐active substrate. Extinction spectra and scanning electron microscopy images reveal that controllable surface plasmonic metal substrates can be obtained by increasing the temperature of (3‐aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane solution up to 64.5 °C. The SERS‐active substrates have a high enhancement factor, and they can be both easily prepared and reproducible. With the use of these substrates, different concentrations of pyrene and anthracene in aqueous solutions were detected by SERS. A further enhancement can be supported by shifted excitation Raman difference spectroscopy. Raman signals of pyrene and anthracene adsorbed on gold colloid substrates up to limits of detection at 5 and 1 nmol/l, respectively, can be obtained. The quantitative analysis shows the possibility of in situ detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons while such gold colloid film serves as a SERS‐active substrate. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于纳米锥森林结构的表面增强拉曼散射透明器件研究

具有无损、超灵敏和实时检测优点的表面增强拉曼散射(SERS)器件具有重要研究意义。目前,针对SERS器件的大部分研究都围绕着非透明的器件展开。使用此类器件检测高浓度试剂时,激光只能从正面入射。这意味着入射激光需要穿透被测试剂分子层才能到达位于其下方的金属纳米结构表面,因此用于激发金属纳米结构表面等离子体共振(SPR)的激光能量被减弱,相应地,SERS光谱信号也被减弱;此外,SERS光谱信号因被测试剂分子层的遮挡,无法高效返回到电荷耦合元件(CCD)中,再次被大幅度减弱,甚至有可能完全无法被检测到。相比之下,如果使用透明SERS器件,检测过程中将被测试剂分子置于器件正面,激光从器件背面入射,此时高浓度被测试剂分子层对入射激光和SERS光谱信号的干扰最小。这种情况下,可以得到较好的光谱信号。通过在石英基底上旋涂聚酰亚胺(PI)层,然后通过氧等离子体对PI层进行无掩模轰击,在石英基底上自行生成纳米纤维掩模,配合反应离子刻蚀工艺(RIE)制备了石英纳米锥森林结构。之后,通过金属纳米颗粒溅射工艺,得到SERS透明器件。对于该SERS透明器件,在测试过程中,拉曼激光可从器件的正面以及背面分别入射。初步的测试结果表明,对于罗丹明6G(R6G)在10^-3~10^-6 mol·L^-1这一浓度范围内,背面入射方式收集的SERS光谱信号强度高于正面入射方式。另外,进一步研究了该SERS透明器件背面检测的一致性,得到了良好的结果,证明了其在实际生化检测中的可行性。这一工作有望扩展SERS在分析物检测领域中的应用。     

SERS detection of proteins on micropatterned protein‐mediated sandwich substrates

One of the greatest challenges in developing protein chips is the detection of trace amounts of proteins on their surfaces. Traditionally employed techniques, such as optical microscopy and fluorescence, are effective and widely used, but it is sometimes hard to obtain fingerprint signals of biomolecules. In this paper, we use surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy as a platform for protein detection. Micropatterned protein‐mediated Au/Ag sandwich structures were employed as the detecting objects. Two types of proteins, pure hemoprotein and immunocomplex, were used as the media. Au/Ag layers were used as the SERS substrates. The resulting spectra showed good sensitivity and resolution. It indicates that SERS is a powerful tool in protein detection and has great potential for application in protein chips. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Glass‐embedded silver nanoparticle patterns by masked ion‐exchange process for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering

Glass‐embedded silver nanoparticle patterns were fabricated by masked silver–sodium ion‐exchange process followed by etching to reveal the particles for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The intensity of the enhanced Raman signal is comparable to that of the fluorescence, and the detection limit of 1 nM for Rhodamine 6G has been achieved. Raman images at different etching depths and corresponding morphological images are compared to find optimal SERS signal. Our results demonstrate that silver nanoparticle patterns embedded in glass can be used as SERS‐active substrates. Nanoparticles can be formed in a glass of high optical quality and have potential to be integrated with optical waveguides for a sensor chip. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

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.     

A comparative study of surface‐enhanced Raman scattering from silver‐coated anodic aluminum oxide and porous silicon

Three types of Ag‐coated arrays from porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) were prepared and studied as substrates for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). They were compared with Ag‐coated porous silicon (PSi) samples. AAO‐based substrates were prepared by the vapor deposition of silver directly onto the surface of porous AAO with different morphologies of the pores, whereas SERS‐active island films on the PSi were prepared by immersion plating. The resulting metallic nanostructures were characterized by UV‐vis absorption spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Thermal evaporation leads to the formation of granular arrays of Ag nanoparticles on the surface of AAO. SERS activity of the substrates was tested using water‐soluble cationic Zn(II)‐tetrakis (4‐N‐methylpyridyl) porphyrin (ZnTMPyP4) as a probe molecule. The results indicate that all AAO‐based substrates studied here exhibit some degree of SERS activity. Noteworthy, for excitation at 532 nm, signals from AAO‐based substrates were comparable with those from the PSi‐based ones, whereas for 441.6 nm excitation they were about twice higher. The strongest SERS‐enhancement at 441.6 nm excitationwas provided by the AAO substrates with silver deposited on the monolith (originally nonporous) side of AAO. Preferential SERS‐enhancement of the bands ascribed to the vibrations of the N‐methylpyridinium group of ZnTMPyP4 when going to blue excitation was found. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Silica‐overcoated substrates for detection of proteins by surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Ag film over nanosphere (AgFON) substrates for surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) are shown to be ineffective for the detection of proteins in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) because of the decomposition of the substrate resulting in a total loss of SERS activity. However, modification of these substrates with SiO₂ overlayers overcomes this problem. The SiO₂ overlayers are produced by filtered arc deposition (FAD) and are characterised by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Their porosity is examined using Raman spectroscopy and the detection of cytochrome c and bovine serum albumin in PBS is successfully demonstrated. These findings show promise for the detection of proteins in biologically relevant conditions using Ag‐based SERS substrates. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The role of the dielectric environment in surface‐enhanced Raman scattering on the detection of a 4‐nitrothiophenol monolayer

Nanotechnology enables the generation and characterization of novel surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates. In this study, we focus on the impact of the carrier material of the SERS active layer and hence the dielectric environment to the enhancement. Therefore, a self‐assembled monolayer of 4‐nitrothiophenol is immobilized on silver and gold particles substrates on a quartz carrier. The detection of the monolayer occurs through the quartz carrier and through air. For the former, an increase of the intensity of the SERS bands in the spectrum is observed compared to the latter. The magnitude of the increase is larger for gold than for silver. Calculations according to the theoretical model of the electromagnetic enhancement agree with our experimental data. The presented detection mode will stimulate the fabrication of novel SERS sensors. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering of molecules adsorbed on Co‐doped ZnO nanoparticles

Transition‐metal‐doped semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs) have been well studied for their optical and catalytic properties but seldom studied by surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). In this paper, transition‐metal‐doped semiconductor NPs are investigated for their SERS property. Four groups of Co‐doped (0.5, 1, 3, and 5%) ZnO (Co ZnO) NPs and pure ZnO NPs were synthesized and studied. When 4‐mercaptobenzoic acid was used as probing molecule, significant SERS signals were obtained on all the five samples. Moreover, it is very interesting to observe a relationship between the Co‐doping concentration and enhancement of the SERS signals. SERS intensities first increase with doping concentration (up to 1%), and then decrease with further increase in doping concentration (up to 5%). Charge transfer (CT) is considered to be the main contribution to this phenomenon. Different CT ratios from substrates to molecules seem to induce different intensities of the SERS signals. In our experiments, the crystalline defects of Co ZnO NPs caused by the Co dopant affect the CT ratios. A possible mechanism of CT from the valance band of Co ZnO NPs to the lower unoccupied molecular orbital of the molecules via energy of the surface states is suggested. X‐ray photoelectron spectra, UV vis spectra, and Raman spectra were used to characterize the structure and defects in Co ZnO NPs. Copyright © 2011 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.     

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.     

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.     

Trace analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using calixarene layered gold colloid film as substrates for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering

A surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) active substrate for the detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was developed, which used 25, 27‐dimercaptoacetic acid‐26, 28‐dihydroxy‐4‐terbutyl calix[4]arene (DMCX) to functionalize a gold colloid film. This SERS‐active substrate prepared by self‐assembly method exhibits a high sensitivity, especially for the detection of PAHs. With the use of this SERS‐active substrate and with the application of the shifted excitation Raman difference spectroscopy (SERDS) technique, Raman signals of pyrene and anthracene in aqueous solutions at low concentration level (500 pM) can be obtained. Moreover, because PAHs are blocked from being directly adsorbed on gold colloid by DMCX and the photochemical reactions of adsorbates are avoided, the Raman bands of PAHs adsorbed on DMCX‐fuctionalized gold colloid film can be one‐to‐one correspondence with those of solid PAHs, and additionally, this SERS‐active substrate can be easily cleaned and reused. The obtained results demonstrate that the DMCX‐functionalized gold colloid films prepared by self‐assembly method have great potential to be developed to an in situ PAHs detection substrate. Copyright © 2012 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.     

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.     

Near‐infrared surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (NIR‐SERS) studies on oxyheamoglobin (OxyHb) of liver cancer based on PVA‐Ag nanofilm

A near‐infrared surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (NIR‐SERS) method was employed for oxyheamoglobin (OxyHb) detection to develop a simple blood test for liver cancer detection. Polyvinyl alcohol protected silver nanofilm (PVA‐Ag nanofilm) used as the NIR‐SERS active substrate to enhance the Raman scattering signals of OxyHb. High quality NIR‐SERS spectrum from OxyHb adsorbed on PVA‐Ag nanofilm can be obtained within 16 s using a portable Raman spectrometer. NIR‐SERS measurements were performed on OxyHb samples of healthy volunteers (control subjects, n = 30), patients (n = 40) with confirmed liver cancer (stage I, II and III) and the liver cancer patients after surgery (n = 30). Meanwhile, the tentative assignments of the Raman bands in the measured NIR‐SERS spectra were performed, and the results suggested cancer specific changes on molecule level, including a decrease in the relative concentrations and the percentage of aromatic amino acids of OxyHb, changes of the vibration modes of the C_aH_m group and pyrrole ring of OxyHb of liver cancer patients. In this paper, principal component analysis (PCA) combined with independent sample T test analysis of the measured NIR‐SERS spectra separated the spectral features of the two groups into two distinct clusters with the sensitivity of 95.0% and the specificity of 85.7%. Meanwhile, the recovery situations of the liver cancer patients after surgery were also assessed using the method of discriminant analysis‐predicting group membership based on PCA. The results show that 26.7% surgeried liver cancer patients were distinguished as the normal subjects and 63.3% were distinguished into the cancer. Our study demonstrated great potentials for developing NIR‐SERS OxyHb analysis into a novel clinical tool for non‐invasive detection of liver cancers. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering‐based approach for DNA detection at low concentrations via polyvinyl alcohol‐protected silver grasslike patterns

A simple method is demonstrated to detect DNA at low concentrations on the basis of surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) via polyvinyl alcohol‐protected silver grasslike patterns (PVA‐Ag GPs) grown on the surface of the common Al substrate. By the SERS measurements of sodium citrate and thymine, the PVA‐Ag GPs are shown to be an excellent SERS substrate with good activity, stability and reproducibility. With the use of the tested molecule of thymine, the enhancement factor of the PVA‐Ag GPs is up to ~1.4 × 10⁸. The PVA‐Ag GPs are also shown to be an excellent SERS substrate with good biocompatibility for DNA detection, and the detection limit is down to ~10⁻⁵ mg/g. Meanwhile, the assignations of the Raman bands and the adsorption behaviors of the DNA molecules are also analyzed. In this work, the geometry optimization and the wavenumber analysis of adenine–Ag and guanine–Ag complexes for the ground states are performed using density functional theory, B3LYP functional and the LanL2DZ basis set. The transition energies and the oscillator strengths of adenine–Ag and guanine–Ag for the lowest six singlet excited states were calculated by using the time‐dependent density functional theory method with the same functional and basis set. The results show that the charge transfer in the adenine–Ag and guanine–Ag complexes should be the chemical factor for the SERS of the DNA molecules. Lastly, this method may be employed in large‐scale preparation of substrates that have been widely applied in the Raman analysis of DNA because the fabrication process is simple and inexpensive. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Solution‐based SERS method to detect dithiocarbamate fungicides in different real‐world matrices

Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has become a valuable tool for the characterization of trace quantities of environmental toxins. Utilizing established wet chemical synthetic protocols, dogbone‐shaped colloidal gold nanoparticle substrates with sharp features were prepared with regions that exhibit significant SERS enhancement due to the lightning rod effect. These highly enhancing substrates were utilized for the quantitative determination of two dithiocarbamate fungicides by SERS in several complex matrices such as tap water, apple juice, and vegetable juice. Limits of detection and quantitation are reported and compared with Environmental Protection Agency mandated maximum allowable concentrations in tap water. In the case of tap water, limits of detection of 13.39 ± 3.89 nM for thiram and 1.78 ± 0.20 nM for ferbam was achieved. The sensitivity of the solution‐based SERS method decreased with increasing complexity of the matrix in which the limit of detection achieved in apple juice is 47.22 nM for thiram and 11.88 ± 1.38 nM for ferbam and that for vegetable juice is 87.01 ± 2.88 nM for thiram and 36.72 ± 2.90 nM for ferbam. It was found that using the solution‐based SERS method results in sensitivities that are greater than that required by Environmental Protection Agency mandated maximum allowable concentrations for complex matrices such as apple and vegetable juice. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.