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Updated: Jan 27, 2026

Author Spotlight: Development and Application of SERS Flexible Substrates Using Synthesized AgNPs
Published on: November 17, 2023
Ultrasensitive SERS detection of specific oligonucleotides based on Au@AgAg bimetallic nanorods
Cui-Fang Ning1, Ya-Fei Tian1, Wen Zhou1
1Lab of Biosystem and Microanalysis, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China. binchengyin@ecust.edu.cn bcye@ecust.edu.cn.
Abstract:
We synthesized a novel and sensitive Au/Ag bimetallic SERS-active nanotag, Au-Ag-Ag core-shell-shell nanorod (Au@AgAgNR). The Au@AgAgNR nanotag exhibited a strong SERS signal and was easily assembled from bilayer silver shells on an Au nanorod (AuNR) core with embedded Raman reporter molecules in the core-shell-shell gaps. The SERS activity of the nanotags was investigated with 2-mercaptopyridine (2-Mpy) as a Raman reporter, which could form pyridine/Ag+ coordination complexes to mediate the formation of silver shells. Specific enhancement of Raman signals was observed in the following order: AuNR < Au@AgNR < Au@AgAgNR. Then, Au@AgAgNR nanotags were coupled with magnetic beads (MBs) via specific DNA hybridization as a SERS sensor with a detection limit of 1 fM for a segment of the gene HPV-16. Factors affecting sensitivity and selectivity were investigated, including Raman dye concentration, silver nitrate dosage and the response to similar oligonucleotides. The proposed SERS sensor is expected to be a facile and sensitive method for specific gene detection.
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