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Optical Trapping of Plasmonic Nanoparticles for In Situ Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Characterizations
Published on: June 23, 2022
In vivo dynamic hotspot-enhanced Raman spectroscopy via reconfigurable swarming nanoprobes
Dongfang Zhao1,2, Hui Chen3, Dongdong Jin4
1Sauvage Laboratory for Smart Materials, School of Integrated Circuits, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, China.
Nature Communications
|June 3, 2026
Summary
This study introduces bioadaptive SERS nanoprobes that magnetically swarm for enhanced in vivo molecular diagnostics. This new platform achieves high, reproducible signal amplification for better detection in living systems.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Spectroscopy
Background:
- Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) provides high sensitivity but faces challenges in biological applications due to substrate rigidity and poor reproducibility of colloidal probes.
- Developing adaptable and reliable SERS platforms is crucial for advancing in vivo molecular diagnostics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create a bioadaptive SERS platform using magnetically guided swarming nanoprobes for enhanced in vivo molecular detection.
- To overcome the limitations of existing SERS methods in living systems.
Main Methods:
- Designed nanoprobes with magnetic cores, plasmonic layers, and silica coatings for biocompatibility.
- Utilized magnetic fields for programmable assembly into chain-like structures and dynamic swarms.
- Employed multiphysics simulations to analyze hotspot generation and analyte recruitment via convective flows.
Main Results:
- Achieved reproducible enhancement factors exceeding 2.9×10^7, significantly higher than colloidal systems.
- Demonstrated over 10.3-fold Raman signal amplification in intravascular detection in rabbit models.
- Validated a dual mechanism of transient hotspots and convective flows for analyte recruitment.
Conclusions:
- The magnetically guided swarming nanoprobes represent a novel bioadaptive SERS platform.
- This approach establishes a new paradigm for in vivo molecular diagnostics by combining active matter physics with nanoscale sensing.
