Design and synthesis of Raman reporter molecules for tissue imaging by immuno-SERS microscopy

The design and synthesis of Raman reporter molecules comprising olefin or alkyne moieties with strong and characteristic vibrational Raman bands is presented. Chemisorption onto the surface of colloidal Au/Ag shells yields a self-assembled monolayer. Hydrophilic stabilization of such SERS labels can be achieved by short terminal ethylene glycol units attached to the Raman reporter. Encapsulation by silica with subsequent functionalization of the glass surface allows the conjugation to biomolecules such as antibodies. We demonstrate the use of SERS-labeled antibodies for tissue imaging of the tumor suppressor p63 in prostate biopsies.