Transforming Paper into Plasmonic Sensors: One-Step Fabrication of High-Enhancement SERS Nanosubstrates via Surface...

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates require precise control of plasmonic nanoparticles to generate hot spots for ultrasensitive detection. We present the Surface-Induced Layered Vapor Energy Refined Enhanced Deposition (SILVERED) method for fabricating silver nanoparticle-decorated paper substrates through single-step physical vapor deposition on fluorosilanized cellulose. The extreme surface energy differential drives Volmer-Weber growth, yielding monodisperse (29 ± 4 nm) nanoparticles with high uniformity (PDI = 0.13). Optimal deposition achieved 10⁶ enhancement factor and 2 pM detection limit for rhodamine B. The hydrophobic surface enabled analyte pre-concentration while maintaining reproducibility (RSD < 10%), and the analytical metrics include contributions from substrates drawn across independent fabrication batches. Substrates retained more than 95% of their performance under nitrogen storage. The method's scalability (12-inch substrates), reproducibility, hydrophobicity, silver nanoparticle size, and low cost position it for diverse applications beyond SERS.