Overtone intensities in resonance Raman scattering

A model calculation of resonance Raman scattering tensors has been carried out for a diatomic molecule with a harmonic potential for the ground state and a linear repulsive potential for the excited state. Expressions for scattering tensors have been obtained by using a series of recurrence formulas induced from the Green function of the nuclear hamiltonian of the repulsive potential of the excited state and nuclear wavefunctions for the harmonic potential. The relative scattering intensities of overtones depend on the gradient of the repulsive potential curve and are interpreted in terms of the overlap integrals between nuclear wavefunctions of upper and lower states.     

Stokes/anti-Stokes anomalies under surface enhanced Raman scattering conditions

The possibility of achieving anti-Stokes stimulation and/or pumping under surface enhanced Raman scattering conditions has been the source of intense controversies in the literature. With the aim of clarifying some of the aspects of this problem, we study theoretically and experimentally the situation in a model system which highlights some of the difficulties in the interpretation of the data. We show that many of the assumptions often presumed in the literature need to be assessed with care in each case. Through careful experiments we show, in particular, that the anti-Stokes/Stokes ratio for a specific mode in the same sample can depend on the chosen laser wavelength. This latter effect is a manifestation of the influence of the internal plasmon resonances (hot spots) in the result. Different possibilities and further research directions are highlighted and discussed.     

Probing nanoscale interfaces with electrochemical surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a powerful tool for studying nanoscale molecule-metal interfaces across a range of electrochemical applications. SERS combines molecular-level information with a high degree of surface specificity, making it an ideal tool for understanding interfacial processes, from understanding how analytes and electrolytes organize near metal surfaces to following surface-mediated reactions in real time. However, because SERS relies on the excitation of localized surface plasmons, additional effects such as the production of hot charge carriers and photothermal heating can impact electrochemical SERS signals. These effects must also be considered when using SERS for quantitative electrochemical studies.     

Resonance contributions to anti-Stokes/Stokes ratios under surface enhanced Raman scattering conditions

Anti-Stokes/Stokes asymmetries under surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) conditions are studied for a wide variety of SERS-active media and different analytes. Evidence is provided for the existence of underlying resonances that create these asymmetries. We show here that these resonances are associated with the electromagnetic coupling between the analyte (probe) and the metal. The work demonstrates the use of the anti-Stokes/Stokes ratio as a tool to understand the hierarchy of resonances in the SERS problem, which is essential for quantification purposes.     

Chemical interactions in the surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering of ruthenium polypyridyl complexes

Surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) from the alpha-diimine complexes [Ru(bpm)(3)](2+) and [Ru(bpz)(3)](2+) is reported for the first time at a roughened silver electrode. In both cases, a possible adsorbate orientation has been proposed involving binding through nitrogen lone pair electrons to the silver surface, based on changes in band positions upon adsorption. The SERRS spectra of [Ru(bpm)(3)](2+) were found to change slightly with a change in applied potential. The relative intensity of the nu(C6C6') band was found to be dependent on both excitation wavelength and applied potential. This was ascribed to an active charge transfer (CT) mechanism operating synergistically with the electromagnetic mechanism. No such CT activity was observed in [Ru(bpz)(3)](2+). It is tentatively suggested that this behavior may arise from the different modes of adsorption of the two complexes.     

Quantitative analysis of methyl green using surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering

Surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) spectra of aqueous solutions of the triphenylmethane dye methyl green have been obtained for the first time by use of citrate-reduced silver colloids and a laser excitation wavelength of 632.8 nm. Given the highly fluorescent nature of the analyte, which precluded collection of normal Raman spectra of the dye in solution and powdered state, it was highly encouraging that SERRS spectra showed no fluorescence due to quenching by the silver sol. The pH conditions for SERRS were optimised over the pH range 0.5–10 and the biggest enhancement for SERRS of this charged dye was found to be at pH 2.02, thus this condition was used for quantitative analysis. SERRS was found to be highly sensitive and enabled quantitative determination of methyl green over the range 10⁻⁹ to 10⁻⁷ mol dm⁻³. Good fits to correlation coefficients were obtained over this range using the areas under the vibrational bands at 1615 and 737 cm⁻¹. Finally, a limit of detection of 83 ppb was calculated, demonstrating the sensitivity of the technique.     

Silver-particle-based surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering spectroscopy for biomolecular sensing and recognition

We demonstrate in this work that 2-μm-sized Ag (μAg) powders can be used as a core material for constructing biomolecular sensing/recognition units operating via surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS). This is possible because μAg powders are very efficient substrates for both the diffuse reflectance IR and the surface-enhanced Raman scattering–SERRS spectroscopic characterization of molecular adsorbates prepared in a similar manner on silver surfaces. Besides, the agglomeration of μAg particles in a buffer solution can be prevented by the layer-by-layer deposition of cationic and anionic polyelectrolytes such as poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). In this particular study, we used rhodamine B isothiocyanate (RhBITC) as a SERRS marker molecule, and μAg powders adsorbed consecutively with RhBITC and PAH–PAA bilayers were finally derivatized with biotinylated poly(l-lysine). On the basis of the nature of the SERRS peaks of RhBITC, those μAg powders were confirmed to selectively recognize streptavidin molecules down to concentrations of 10⁻¹⁰ g mL⁻¹. Since a number of different molecules can be used as SERS–SERRS marker molecules, the present method proves to be an invaluable tool for multiplex biomolecular sensing/recognition via SERS and SERRS.     

Temporal evolution of Raman intensities on surface-enhanced Raman scattering active copper and gold electrodes at negative potentials

The effect of a roughening procedure on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) intensity of pyridine at copper and gold electrodes subjected to negative potential has been investigated. Among four procedures tested for a copper electrode the one consisting of electrochemical activation in a solution of LiCl and CuCl₂ resulted in the most stable and effective surface. It was proved that the presence of pyridine during the pretreatment procedure caused a very fast, irreversible decay of SERS intensity for both copper and gold electrodes. Quite stable, at least at room temperatures, gold surfaces were obtained by oxidation-reduction cycles activation in KCl solution.     

Deep-UV surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering of adenine on aluminum nanoparticle arrays

We report the ultrasensitive detection of adenine using deep-UV surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering on aluminum nanostructures. Well-defined Al nanoparticle arrays fabricated over large areas using extreme-UV interference lithography exhibited sharp and tunable plasmon resonances in the UV and deep-UV wavelength ranges. Theoretical modeling based on the finite-difference time-domain method was used to understand the near-field and far-field optical properties of the nanoparticle arrays. Raman measurements were performed on adenine molecules coated uniformly on the Al nanoparticle arrays at a laser excitation wavelength of 257.2 nm. With this technique, less than 10 amol of label-free adenine molecules could be detected reproducibly in real time. Zeptomole (~30,000 molecules) detection sensitivity was readily achieved proving that deep-UV surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering is an extremely sensitive tool for the detection of biomolecules.     

Stokes and anti-Stokes Raman scattering of 5H-dibenzo(a,d)cyclohepten-5-ol

The ultraviolet absorption and emissions as well as Stokes and anti-Stokes Raman scatterings of spectroscopically pure 5H-dibenzo(a,d)cycloheptene-5-ol were investigated by flash and laser-flash photolysis technique in solution at room temperature and at 77K. The whole spectrum, absorption, excitation, prompt and delayed fluorescence, T-T absorption spectra were recorded photographically and photoelectrically in the ultraviolet and visible region and phosphorescence spectrum, Stokes, anti-Stokes scatterings were recorded at 77K.     

Strategy for obtaining improved surface-enhanced Raman scattering by combining electrochemical and plasmas technologies

In this work, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active gold substrates were first developed by combining the technologies of oxidation–reduction cycles (ORCs) and plasmas treatments in roughening metal substrates. First, a gold substrate was treated by argon plasmas. Then the treated gold substrate was further roughened by triangular-wave ORCs in an aqueous solution containing 0.1 M HCl. Encouragingly, the SERS of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) adsorbed on this roughened gold substrate modified by argon plasmas pretreatment exhibits a higher intensity by 10-fold of magnitude and a better resolution, as compared with the SERS of R6G adsorbed on an unmodified roughened gold substrate. Meanwhile, the probing concentration of R6G adsorbed on the modified substrate can be reduced by one order. It was also found that the pretreatment of argon plasmas demonstrates a positive effect on the (2 2 0) face of Au partly changing into the (1 1 1) face with the lowest surface energy after the ORCs roughening, which is contributive to the improved SERS observed.     

Identification and characterization of active and inactive species for surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering

The surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) activity of a statistically significant number of silver nanoparticles has been studied using a correlated SERRS mapping and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) method. TEM allowed the nature of each entity to be directly identified, and the SERRS activity was obtained from the corresponding SERRS map. Particles in various states of aggregation were analyzed to establish relative activities. It was established that SERRS activity is dependent on the specific batch of colloid tested. By averaging different colloid batches, it was shown that increasing SERRS activity is observed with increasing numbers of particles in the aggregates. By reducing the surface coverage of the particles to the extent that single moieties could be examined optically, the ratio of the relative activities of single particles, dimers, trimers, and larger aggregates was estimated. High-resolution TEM images of a number of active and inactive particles are reported. However, no clear correlation between microstructure and SERRS activity was observed.     

On the theory of surface-enhanced Raman scattering

A model for Raman scattering from molecules chemisorbed on surfaces is proposed. It is shown that part of the en hancement may be due to charge-transfer excitations between the metal and the adsorbed molecules.     

The theory of surface-enhanced Raman scattering

By considering the molecule and metal to form a conjoined system, we derive an expression for the observed Raman spectrum in surface-enhanced Raman scattering. The metal levels are considered to consist of a continuum with levels filled up to the Fermi level, and empty above, while the molecule has discrete levels filled up to the highest occupied orbital, and empty above that. It is presumed that the Fermi level of the metal lies between the highest filled and the lowest unfilled level of the molecule. The molecule levels are then coupled to the metal continuum both in the filled and unfilled levels, and using the solutions to this problem provided by Fano, we derive an expression for the transition amplitude between the ground stationary state and some excited stationary state of the molecule-metal system. It is shown that three resonances contribute to the overall enhancement; namely, the surface plasmon resonance, the molecular resonances, as well as charge-transfer resonances between the molecule and metal. Furthermore, these resonances are linked by terms in the numerator, which result in SERS selection rules. These linked resonances cannot be separated, accounting for many of the observed SERS phenomena. The molecule-metal coupling is interpreted in terms of a deformation potential which is compared to the Herzberg-Teller vibronic coupling constant. We show that one term in the sum involves coupling between the surface plasmon transition dipole and the molecular transition dipole. They are coupled through the deformation potential connecting to charge-transfer states. Another term is shown to involve coupling between the charge-transfer transition and the molecular transition dipoles. These are coupled by the deformation potential connecting to plasmon resonance states. By applying the selection rules to the cases of dimer and trimer nanoparticles we show that the SERS spectrum can vary considerably with excitation wavelength, depending on which plasmon and/or charge-transfer resonance is excited.     

Inhibition assay of yeast cell walls by plasmon resonance Rayleigh scattering and surface-enhanced Raman scattering imaging

We report on plasmon resonance Rayleigh scattering (PRRS) and surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) imaging for inhibition assay of yeast cell walls. This assay reveals that the proteins having alkali sensitive linkage bound to β1,3 glucan frameworks in cell walls are involved in SERS activity. The result is further confirmed by comparison of genetically modified cells and wild type cells. Finally, we find that PRRS and SERS spots do not appear on cell walls when daughter cells are enough smaller than parent ones, but appear when size of daughter cells are comparable to parent cells. This finding indicates the relationship between expression of the proteins that generate SERS spots and cell division. These results demonstrate that PRRS and SERS imaging can be a convenient and sensitive method for analysis of cell walls.     

Magnetic assistance highly sensitive protein assay based on surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering

A simple and effective surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based protocol for the detection of protein-small molecule interactions has been developed. We employed silver-coated magnetic particles (AgMNPs), which can provide high SERS activity as a protein carrier to capture a small molecule. Combining magnetic separation and the SERS method for protein detection, highly reproducible SERS spectra of a protein-small molecule complex can be obtained with high sensitivity. This time-saving method employs an external magnetic field to induce the AgMNPs to aggregate to increase the amount of atto610-biotin/avidin complex in a unit area with the SERS enhancement. Because of the contribution of the AgMNP aggregation to the SERS, this protocol has great potential for practical high-throughput detection of the protein-small molecule complex and the antigen-antibody immunocomplex.     

Applicability of surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering for the direct discrimination of ballpoint pen inks

In situ surface-enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy (SERRS) with excitation at 685 nm is suitable for the direct discrimination of blue and black ballpoint pen inks on paper. For black inks, shorter excitation wavelengths can also be used. For blue inks, SERRS at 514.5 and 457.9 nm does not provide adequate discriminative power. At these excitation wavelengths, the SERRS signals of the Methyl Violet derivatives present in inks easily dominate the overall spectrum because of resonance enhancement and preferential interaction with silver sol particles. At 685 nm, this problem is not encountered as the Methyl Violet derivatives do not show resonance enhancement, while other components may still exhibit resonance. Thirteen blue and thirteen black ink lines were examined. For the blue and black inks, on the basis of the 685 nm SERR spectra, eight and six groups of spectra, respectively, could be distinguished. This discrimination largely agrees with information from thin layer chromatography (TLC) experiments, although some differences in group compositions are found. The in situ SERR spectra show good repeatability with regard to the Raman frequencies, band shapes and relative intensities of the spectral bands. However, absolute intensities cannot be used for discrimination purposes.     

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering: Spectroscopy and microscopy

In this review the basis, recent developments and applications of coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) in the fields of spectroscopy and microscopy are dialed with. The nonlinear susceptibility of the investigated molecule induced by pump and Stokes laser beams employed in the CARS technique is discussed. The relation between the nonlinear susceptibility, the different CARS laser intensities and the phase matching condition between them is also presented. The structure of CARS spectrum is analyzed as a function of the physical characteristics of the different employed lasers. This includes laser half widths, interference effects, cross-coherence and saturation of the resultant CARS signal by stimulated Raman scatter process (SRS). The different broadening mechanisms for CARS spectral line such as pressure and Doppler broadening are demonstrated. The recent progress in CARS for the in situ reaction flame diagnosis due to its suitability for detection of vibrational-rotational excited gas molecules present in the electronic ground state is discussed. CARS diagnosis for liquid- and solid-phases including the progress in polymeric materials is considered. The applications of CARS microscopy are reviewed in the view of its recent advances to study chemical and biological systems.     

Highly reproducible surface-enhanced Raman scattering-active Au nanostructures prepared by simple electrodeposition: Origin of surface-enhanced Raman scattering activity and applications as electrochemical substrates

The fabrication of effective surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates has been the subject of intensive research because of their useful applications. In this paper, dendritic gold (Au) rod (DAR) structures prepared by simple one-step electrodeposition in a short time were examined as an effective SERS-active substrate. The SERS activity of the DAR surfaces was compared to that of other nanostructured Au surfaces with different morphologies, and its dependence on the structural variation of DAR structures was examined. These comparisonal investigations revealed that highly faceted sharp edge sites present on the DAR surfaces play a critical role in inducing a high SERS activity. The SERS enhancement factor was estimated to be greater than 10⁵, and the detection limit of rhodamine 6G at DAR surfaces was 10⁻⁸ M. The DAR surfaces exhibit excellent spot-to-spot and substrate-to-substrate SERS enhancement reproducibility, and their long-term stability is very good. It was also demonstrated that the DAR surfaces can be effectively utilized in electrochemical SERS systems, wherein a reversible SERS behavior was obtained during the cycling to cathodic potential regions. Considering the straightforward preparation of DAR substrates and the clean nature of SERS-active Au surfaces prepared in the absence of additives, we expect that DAR surfaces can be used as cost-effective SERS substrates in analytical and electrochemical applications.