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Updated: Jun 24, 2026

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
Abstract:
We show that naturally occurring chitinous nanostructures found on the wings of the Graphium butterfly can be used as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering when coated with a thin film of gold or silver. The substrates were found to exhibit excellent biocompatibility and sensitivity, making them ideal for protein assaying. An assay using avidin/biotin binding showed that the substrates could be used to quantify protein binding directly from changes in the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra and were sensitive over a concentration range comparable with a typical enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) assay. A biomimetic version of the wing nanostructures produced using a highly reproducible, large-scale fabrication process, yielded comparable enhancement factors and biocompatibility. The excellent biocompatibility of the wings and biomimetic substrates is unparalleled by other lithographically produced substrates, and this could pave the way for widespread application of ultrasensitive SERS-based bioassays.
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