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Correlative SEM SERS for quantitative analysis of dimer nanoparticles.
F J Timmermans1, A T M Lenferink1, H A G M van Wolferen2
1Medical Cell BioPhysics Group, MIRA Institute, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands. f.j.timmermans@utwente.nl.
The Analyst
|November 1, 2016
Summary
Correlative scanning electron microscopy-surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SEM-SERS) quantifies plasmonic enhancement. This method reveals structure-induced factors ranging from ~200 to ~20,000, enabling precise analysis of nanostructures.
Area of Science:
- Plasmonics
- Nanophotonics
- Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS)
Background:
- Plasmonic nanostructures offer unique light-matter interactions.
- Correlating structural information with spectroscopic signals is crucial for understanding plasmonic behavior.
- Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) provides highly sensitive molecular detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a correlative SEM-SERS approach for quantitative analysis of plasmonic structures.
- To investigate the influence of nanostructure morphology, orientation, and gap size on SERS signal intensity.
- To compare experimental SERS enhancement factors with simulated electric near-field enhancements.
Main Methods:
- Integration of Raman microscopy with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for correlative analysis.
- Selection of gold nanosphere dimers based on SEM imaging.
- Systematic variation of dimer orientation and gap size relative to laser polarization.
- Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations to model electric near-field enhancement based on observed morphologies.
Main Results:
- Correlative SEM-SERS successfully quantified plasmonic enhancement in gold nanosphere dimers.
- Observed significant effects of dimer orientation and gap size on Raman signal intensity.
- Identified discrepancies between experimental and simulated enhancement factors due to nanoscale structural variations.
- Determined structure-induced SERS enhancement factors ranging from approximately 200 to 20,000.
Conclusions:
- Correlative SEM-SERS microscopy is a powerful analytical method for quantitative characterization of plasmonic particles.
- The study highlights the importance of considering nanoscale structural details for accurate SERS enhancement factor determination.
- This integrated approach advances the fields of SERS and plasmonics by enabling precise analysis of nanostructure properties.
