Paper-based substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy sensing

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a highly sensitive analytical technique utilizing plasmonic surfaces.
• Flexible SERS substrates, especially paper-based ones, offer user-friendly sample interaction.
• Advancements in substrate fabrication are crucial for expanding SERS applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent progress in flexible SERS substrates, focusing on paper-based materials.
• To summarize preparation methods and advantages of paper-based SERS substrates.
• To discuss the applications and future potential of these substrates in various detection scenarios.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on flexible and paper-based SERS substrate fabrication.
• Analysis of reported applications in abiotic and biological sample detection.
• Discussion of challenges and future directions for paper-based SERS technology.

Main Results:

• Various fabrication techniques for paper-based SERS substrates have been developed.
• Paper-based SERS substrates show significant potential in detecting analytes in diverse matrices.
• Clinical diagnosis is a promising application area for these flexible SERS platforms.

Conclusions:

• Paper-based SERS substrates represent a significant advancement in sensitive, portable analytical tools.
• Further research into fabrication and application will broaden the utility of these substrates.
• Addressing current challenges is key to realizing the full potential of paper-based SERS in clinical and other fields.