Reliable and cheap SERS active substrates

Abstract

Raman spectroscopy is a label-free technique for the detection and structural analysis of molecular materials. Unfortunately, Raman signals are inherently weak, so a very low number of scattered photons are available for detection. Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is a useful method to amplify weak Raman signals by an increment of the apparent Raman cross-section of the analyte though the local amplification of the electromagnetic field in the close proximity of metal nanostructures caused by the excitation of localized surface plasmon resonances. Laser excitation resonantly drives the metal surface charges, creating highly localized plasmonic light fields at these