Rationally designed multifunctional plasmonic nanostructures for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy: a review

Area of Science:

• Plasmonics and Nanotechnology
• Spectroscopy
• Materials Science

Background:

• Multifunctional plasmonic nanostructures integrate multiple properties (e.g., plasmonic and catalytic) into single entities.
• Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) is a highly sensitive molecular spectroscopy technique.
• SERS offers fingerprint specificity and surface selectivity for molecular analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the synthesis of rationally designed multifunctional plasmonic nanostructures.
• To explore the applications of these nanostructures in Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS).
• To provide an overview of SERS fundamentals and its diverse applications.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on the synthesis of multifunctional plasmonic nanostructures.
• Analysis of studies utilizing these nanostructures for SERS applications.
• Compilation of SERS principles and its utility in various scientific domains.

Main Results:

• Multifunctional plasmonic nanostructures can be rationally designed for integrated functionalities.
• These nanostructures significantly enhance Raman scattering signals for sensitive molecular detection.
• SERS applications span heterogeneous catalysis, diagnostics, imaging, and therapy.

Conclusions:

• Rationally designed multifunctional plasmonic nanostructures are versatile tools for advanced applications.
• SERS, enhanced by these nanostructures, provides powerful molecular insights.
• The integration of plasmonic and other functionalities opens new avenues in chemistry, biology, and medicine.