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Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Detection of Biomolecules Using EBL Fabricated Nanostructured Substrates
Published on: March 20, 2015
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Cu/Ag Sphere Segment Void Array as Efficient Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Substrate for Detecting Individual
Xu Dong1,2, Lukas Ohnoutek3,4, Yang Yang1
1Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering , Fudan University , Shanghai 200433 , China.
Analytical Chemistry
|October 4, 2019
Summary
Researchers developed a novel copper-silver alloy substrate for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to detect individual atmospheric aerosols. This low-cost, stable, and uniform SERS substrate significantly enhances aerosol detection capabilities.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is promising for analyzing individual atmospheric aerosols.
- Current SERS substrates face limitations in efficiency, stability, uniformity, scalability, and cost.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel SERS substrate for efficient detection of individual atmospheric aerosol particles.
- To address the limitations of existing SERS substrates for atmospheric applications.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a sphere segment void (SSV) structure using copper and silver (Cu/Ag) alloy via electrodeposition.
- Characterization of the SSV structure for uniformity, large-area arrays (2 cm²), and cost-effectiveness.
- Evaluation of the SERS performance with stimulated sulfate aerosols and ambient particles.
Main Results:
- The Cu/Ag alloy SSV structure provides a uniform, large-area, and low-cost SERS substrate.
- The substrate exhibits a high SERS enhancement factor due to silver and stability due to copper.
- A high density of SERS hotspots (1.3 × 10¹⁴/cm²) was achieved, enhancing Raman signals by over 50 times for sulfate aerosols.
- Successful identification of chemical components like nitrates and sulfates in ambient particles collected during haze.
Conclusions:
- The developed Cu/Ag alloy SSV structure is an efficient and stable SERS substrate for individual atmospheric aerosol detection.
- This strategy offers a significant advancement over existing SERS substrates for atmospheric science.
- The substrate enables detailed analysis of aerosol morphology and chemical composition, crucial for air quality studies.
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