Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 9, 2025
08:58
Silicon Nanowires and Optical Stimulation for Investigations of Intra- and Intercellular Electrical Coupling
Published on: January 28, 2021
4.7K
Free-Standing Single Ag Nanowires for Multifunctional Optical Probes
Xiao-Tong Pan1, Yu-Yang Liu2, Si-Qi Qian1
1State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|April 15, 2021
Summary
Researchers developed novel methods to fabricate single silver nanowires (AgNWs) on glass capillaries. These AgNW probes enable in situ characterization and surface-enhanced Raman scattering analysis of single living cells.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Optics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Miniaturized optical probes are crucial for in situ characterization in confined environments.
- Developing manipulable probes is essential for advanced analytical techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate free-standing single silver nanowires (AgNWs) at the tip of glass capillaries.
- To explore the optical properties and applications of these AgNWs as probes.
Main Methods:
- Developed two fabrication methods: chemical and electrochemical reduction of silver.
- Achieved rapid AgNW growth rates (up to 1.38 μm/s) and controllable lengths (5–450 μm).
- Fabricated rough-surface AgNWs for enhanced surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated AgNWs with anisotropic structures supporting localized surface plasmon resonance and surface plasmon waveguides.
- Verified the use of single AgNWs as optical dispersion devices and waveguide probes.
- Showcased SERS-active probes for acquiring molecular information from single living cells.
Conclusions:
- Single AgNWs fabricated on glass capillaries serve as versatile probes for optical characterization.
- The developed methods allow for controlled fabrication of AgNWs with tunable optical and SERS properties.
- These AgNW probes offer a promising platform for single-cell molecular analysis.
