Matthew A Young

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is currently experiencing a renaissance in its development driven by the remarkable discovery of single molecule SERS (SMSERS) and the explosion of interest in nanophotonics and plasmonics. Because excitation of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of a nanostructured surface or nanoparticle lies at the heart of SERS, it is important to control all of the factors influencing the LSPR in order to maximize signal strength and ensure reproducibility. These factors include material, size, shape, interparticle spacing, and dielectric environment. All of these factors must be carefully controlled to ensure that the incident laser light maximally excites the LSPR in a reproducible manner. This article describes the use of nanosphere lithography for the fabrication of highly reproducible and robust SERS substrates for both fundamental studies and applications. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is introduced as a novel fabrication method for dielectric spacers to study the SERS distance dependence and control the nanoscale dielectric environment. Wavelength scanned SER excitation spectroscopy (WS SERES) measurements show that enhancement factors approximately 10(8) are obtainable from NSL-fabricated surfaces and provide new insight into the electromagneticfield enhancement mechanism. Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) is an extremely promising new development to improve the generality and information content of SERS. A 2D correlation analysis is applied to SMSERS data. Finally, the first in vivo SERS glucose sensing study is presented.

A rapid detection protocol suitable for use by first-responders to detect anthrax spores using a low-cost, battery-powered, portable Raman spectrometer has been developed. Bacillus subtilis spores, harmless simulants for Bacillus anthracis, were studied using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) on silver film over nanosphere (AgFON) substrates. Calcium dipicolinate (CaDPA), a biomarker for bacillus spores, was efficiently extracted by sonication in nitric acid and rapidly detected by SERS. AgFON surfaces optimized for 750 nm laser excitation have been fabricated and characterized by UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and SERS. The SERS signal from extracted CaDPA was measured over the spore concentration range of 10(-14)-10(-12) M to determine the saturation binding capacity of the AgFON surface and to calculate the adsorption constant (Kspore=1.7 x 10(13) M(-1)). At present, an 11 min procedure is capable of achieving a limit of detection (LOD) of approximately 2.6 x 10(3) spores, below the anthrax infectious dose of 10(4) spores. The data presented herein also demonstrate that the shelf life of prefabricated AgFON substrates can be as long as 40 days prior to use. Finally, these sensing capabilities have been successfully transitioned from a laboratory spectrometer to a field-portable instrument. Using this technology, 10(4) bacillus spores were detected with a 5 s data acquisition period on a 1 month old AgFON substrate. The speed and sensitivity of this SERS sensor indicate that this technology can be used as a viable option for the field analysis of potentially harmful environmental samples.

The initial steps toward a miniature, field portable sensor based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) are presented. It is demonstrated that a low-cost miniaturized Raman system can be used in place of a larger, higher-cost conventional Raman system. This system was developed by sequentially replacing components of a laboratory scale Raman spectroscopy system with smaller, lower-cost, commercially available components. For example, a green laser pointer was used as the excitation source, a reflectance probe fiber-optic cable was used for laser delivery and collection, and a compact card-based spectrometer was used for dispersion and detection. Spectra, collected with the laser pointer Raman system, are presented of a resonant (Rhodamine 6G) and a non-resonant (trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene) molecule as well as a self-assembled monolayer (1-decanethiol). Small, low-cost sensors are in demand for a variety of applications, and SERS is positioned to contribute significantly with its remarkable sensitivity and molecular specificity.Key words: Raman, SERS, fiber-optics, sensor.

The initial steps toward a miniature, field portable sensor based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) are presented. It is demonstrated that a low-cost miniaturized Raman system can be used in place of a larger, higher-cost conventional Raman system. This system was developed by sequentially replacing components of a laboratory scale Raman spectroscopy system with smaller, lower-cost, commercially available components. For example, a green laser pointer was used as the excitation source, a reflectance probe fiber-optic cable was used for laser delivery and collection, and a compact card-based spectrometer was used for dispersion and detection. Spectra, collected with the laser pointer Raman system, are presented of a resonant (Rhodamine 6G) and a non-resonant (trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene) molecule as well as a self-assembled monolayer (1-decanethiol). Small, low-cost sensors are in demand for a variety of applications, and SERS is positioned to contribute significantly with its remarkable sensitivity and molecular specificity. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT] Key words: Raman, SERS, fiber-optics, sensor.