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Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Detection of Biomolecules Using EBL Fabricated Nanostructured Substrates
Published on: March 20, 2015
Spectroscopy on the wing: naturally inspired SERS substrates for biochemical analysis
Natalie L Garrett1, Peter Vukusic, Feodor Ogrin
1School of Physics, University of Exeter, Devon, UK, EX4 4QL, UK. n.l.garrett@exeter.ac.uk
Journal of Biophotonics
|April 4, 2009
Summary
Butterfly wing nanostructures coated with gold or silver serve as sensitive substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) bioassays. These biocompatible, biomimetic structures offer a promising platform for ultrasensitive protein quantification.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Spectroscopy
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Chitinous nanostructures from Graphium butterfly wings offer unique optical properties.
- Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) requires sensitive and biocompatible substrates for bioassays.
- Existing lithographic substrates often lack sufficient biocompatibility for widespread bioassay applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of butterfly wing nanostructures as SERS substrates.
- To evaluate the biocompatibility and sensitivity of these natural and biomimetic nanostructures for protein assays.
- To compare the performance of butterfly-derived SERS substrates with conventional lithographic methods.
Main Methods:
- Coating naturally occurring Graphium butterfly wing nanostructures with gold or silver films.
- Fabricating biomimetic versions of the wing nanostructures using a large-scale process.
- Performing protein assays using avidin/biotin binding and analyzing changes in SERS spectra.
- Quantifying protein binding sensitivity and comparing enhancement factors with other substrates.
Main Results:
- Gold/silver coated butterfly wing nanostructures demonstrated excellent biocompatibility and high sensitivity for SERS.
- The substrates enabled direct quantification of protein binding via SERS spectral changes, comparable to ELISA sensitivity.
- Biomimetic nanostructures achieved comparable enhancement factors and biocompatibility to natural structures.
- The biocompatibility of these substrates surpassed that of many lithographically produced alternatives.
Conclusions:
- Naturally occurring and biomimetic butterfly wing nanostructures are effective SERS substrates for ultrasensitive bioassays.
- Their unparalleled biocompatibility opens avenues for advanced SERS-based protein quantification.
- This research could lead to widespread adoption of SERS for sensitive and reliable bioanalytical applications.
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