Disparity-amplified chiral SERS using a PSP-LSP-coupled substrate

Area of Science:

• Plasmonics
• Chiral Chemistry
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Chiral recognition is crucial in various scientific fields, but distinguishing between enantiomers remains difficult.
• Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) offers potential for chiral analysis, yet requires improved sensitivity and specificity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a new SERS substrate for enhanced distinction between enantiomers.
• To leverage the coupling of propagating surface plasmons (PSPs) and localized surface plasmons (LSPs) for amplified chiral signals.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a SERS substrate integrating laser-induced periodic surface structures with chiral plasmonic nanoparticles (helicoid III).
• Investigation of the PSP-LSP coupling mechanism on the composite substrate.
• Utilizing SERS to analyze chiral molecules and assess enantiomeric discrimination.

Main Results:

• The composite SERS substrate successfully enhanced the Raman scattering signal.
• The substrate demonstrated effective amplification of the disparity between enantiomers.
• The PSP-LSP coupling mechanism significantly improved chiral recognition capabilities.

Conclusions:

• The developed SERS substrate offers a novel approach for sensitive chiral recognition.
• This method provides a pathway for advanced chiral SERS substrate design.
• The study advances the research on enantiomeric disparity amplification using plasmonic coupling.