Micro-/nanostructures for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy: Recent advances and perspectives

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) leverages plasmonic coupling in nanostructured materials to amplify Raman signals from adsorbed molecules.
• This enhancement is crucial for detecting analytes at low concentrations, from micromolar down to single-molecule levels.
• SERS finds broad applications in chemical analysis and sensing across diverse scientific fields.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and evaluate the latest advancements in SERS micro-/nanosensors.
• To classify these sensors based on their functional roles.
• To analyze design principles and mechanisms of SERS-active substrates and explore strategies for precision detection.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and analysis of recent research on SERS micro-/nanosensors.
• Classification of sensors according to their specific functions and applications.
• Examination of design principles, working mechanisms, and enhancement strategies for SERS substrates.

Main Results:

• SERS micro-/nanosensors exhibit significant potential for molecular analysis on rough metal surfaces and nanostructures.
• Plasmonic coupling in these structures creates 'hot spots' that dramatically enhance Raman scattering.
• High enhancement factors enable sensitive detection, including single-molecule sensitivity.

Conclusions:

• SERS micro-/nanostructured substrates are critical for sensitive chemical analysis and sensing.
• Understanding design principles is key to overcoming precision detection challenges.
• This review provides a valuable design guide for developing new SERS-active substrates.