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Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Detection of Biomolecules Using EBL Fabricated Nanostructured Substrates
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Nanoengineered Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Substrates for Probing Tissue-Material Interactions
Connie M Wang1, Roberta M Sabino2, Aditya Garg3
1Department of Biological Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|January 29, 2026
Summary
We developed a novel gold nanocolumn-titanium (AuNC-Ti) material that acts as a self-sensing substrate. This allows for noninvasive, real-time monitoring of tissue-implant interactions using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Medical Device Engineering
Background:
- Assessing tissue-implant interactions is challenging due to the complexity of modern medical implants.
- Existing methods lack the noninvasive, real-time, and multiplexed capabilities needed to monitor implant biology.
- Understanding these interactions is crucial for improving implant longevity and patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a multifunctional, self-sensing implant material for noninvasive monitoring of tissue-implant dynamics.
- To create a nanoengineered surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate integrated with titanium implants.
- To enable real-time, multiplexed sensing of biological processes at the tissue-implant interface.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of gold nanocolumns on titanium surfaces (AuNC-Ti) using oblique angle deposition (OAD).
- Characterization using SEM, XPS, XRD, and contact angle measurements to confirm material properties and biocompatibility.
- In vitro cytotoxicity assays using human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs).
- Demonstration of SERS signal enhancement and spatial identification of tissue components using confocal Raman imaging and multivariate analysis.
Main Results:
- Uniform AuNC-Ti substrates were successfully fabricated with controlled nanocolumn dimensions.
- The AuNC-Ti surface exhibited biocompatible chemistry and ideal wettability.
- A high SERS enhancement factor (EF) of 1.8 × 10^5 was achieved.
- Multiplexed, unlabeled SERS and machine learning enabled spatial identification of tissue components.
Conclusions:
- The developed AuNC-Ti material functions as an effective SERS substrate for sensing tissue-material interactions.
- This approach offers a noninvasive, multiplexed method for real-time monitoring of implant-tissue dynamics.
- The technology holds promise for determining tissue state and advancing implantable device diagnostics.
Keywords:
Raman spectroscopySERS substratebiosensingmedical implantsoblique angle depositiontissue−implant interfacetitanium coatingMore Related Videos
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