Ultra-high sensitive detection with surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy

Abstract

Ultra-high sensitive detection is a technological and scientific challenge with implications in different disciplines from medicine to national security and the military industry. Although there are many ways to achieve high sensitivity, one driven force towards technological developments is the possibility to obtain an extremely high performance in an inexpensive and easy way. In this regard, we report in this contribution a way to implement plasmonic nano-particles used in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy sensing with a sensitive better than commercial products tested under the same conditions. For testing purposes, we use different organic molecules from ultra-thin layers to monolayers formed by self-assembly. Our results show the possibility to produce highly-sensitive sensors in an inexpensive and efficient way.