Recent advances in nanostructured substrates for surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy

Abstract

Surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy is an emerging research field that has received more attention from the research community. Unlike conventional infrared absorption spectroscopy, SEIRA spectroscopy is a surface sensitive technique which exploits the electromagnetic properties of nanostructured substrates to amplify the vibrational signals of adsorbed molecule. Unique advantages like high sensitivity, wide adaptability, and convenient operation, endow SEIRA spectroscopy to be applied in the qualitative and quantitative analysis for trace of gases, biomolecules and polymers, and so on. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the nanostructured substrates for SEIRA spectroscopy, including the developing history and widely accepted SEIRA mechanisms of SEIRA spectroscopy. Most importantly, characteristics and preparation methods of representative SEIRA-active substrates are introduced. In addition, current deficiencies and prospects in the field of SEIRA spectroscopy are discussed.

Surface enhanced infrared absorption mechanism and modification of the plasmonic response

“…SEIRA is a very sensitive vibrational spectroscopy which offers label-free and non-desctructive sensing that can be combined with other field-enhanced techniques, such as SERS [7]. Its modeling is not an easy task at it requires to describe at the same time, the plasmonic response of a metallic system and the vibrational response of a molecule.…”

“…Vibrational spectroscopies are powerful optical characterization techniques that offer the advantages of being label-free and non-destructive. In addition to Raman spectroscopy, infrared (IR) absorption is widely used for direct analysis of molecular functional groups and in situ analysis of surface reactions [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. However, its small absorption cross-section, although much larger than that of Raman spectroscopy, limits its utility for large quantities of materials.…”

Enhanced label-free detection of proteins on Au nanoparticle micropatterns for surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy

“…The deposition and construction of metal NP islands through wet chemical methods is the most convenient approach for fabricating SEIRAS substrates. 20 This technique allows the employment of inexpensive materials as lithographic masks for fabricating SEIRAS substrates. 10,21…”