New Trends in Nanoarchitectured SERS Substrates: Nanospaces, 2D Materials, and Organic Heterostructures

Abstract

This article reviews recent fabrication methods for surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates with a focus on advanced nanoarchitecture based on noble metals with special nanospaces (round tips, gaps, and porous spaces), nanolayered 2D materials, including hybridization with metallic nanostructures (NSs), and the contemporary repertoire of nanoarchitecturing with organic molecules. The use of SERS for multidisciplinary applications has been extensively investigated because the considerably enhanced signal intensity enables the detection of a very small number of molecules with molecular fingerprints. Nanoarchitecture strategies for the design of new NSs play a vital role in developing SERS substrates. In this review, recent achievements with respect to the special morphology of metallic NSs are discussed, and future directions are outlined for the development of available NSs with reproducible preparation and well‐controlled nanoarchitecture. Nanolayered 2D materials are proposed for SERS applications as an alternative to the noble metals. The modern solutions to existing limitations for their applications are described together with the state‐of‐the‐art in bio/environmental SERS sensing using 2D materials‐based composites. To complement the existing toolbox of plasmonic inorganic NSs, hybridization with organic molecules is proposed to improve the stability of NSs and selectivity of SERS sensing by hybridizing with small or large organic molecules.

Application of two-dimensional layered materials in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)

“…It may be a promising strategy to design two-dimensional substrate materials at the nanometer level by using chemical and physical fabrication methods and composite them with traditional precious metals. 109,110 More innovation in the preparation methods of substrate materials is desired, and the continuous look for potential SERS substrate materials is highly demanded.…”

Qualitative and quantitative detection and identification of two benzodiazepines based on SERS and convolutional neural network technology

“…SERS is an emerging spectroscopic detection technology with the advantages of rapidity, ultra-high sensitivity, and portability of equipment. 7,8 The application prospects of SERS in many fields, such as biomedical research, food safety, and drug detection, have been fully confirmed in recent decades. [9][10][11] The peak at each Raman frequency shift position in the SERS spectrum corresponds to a vibrational or rotational mode of a molecule.…”

Surface Filtration in Mesoporous Au Films Decorated by Ag Nanoparticles for Solving SERS Sensing Small Molecules in Living Cells

“…In contrast to the abovementioned methods, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), as an analytical tool, features ultrahigh sensitivity and the possibility of recognizing the chemical structures of target analytes with quantitative resolution. , SERS substrates are mainly fabricated with noble metals (Ag, Au, and Cu) due to their strong interaction with electromagnetic waves and the excitation of the localized surface plasmon resonance . Going beyond a single noble metal plasmonic structure, bimetallic plasmonic systems mainly presented by Au + Ag are rapidly growing since their hybrid nature is highly appealing for SERS sensing. , This appeal is explained by the combination of the enhanced plasmonic properties (high extinction coefficient) of Ag and the chemical stability of Au in one structure.…”