The ability to perform ultrasensitive chemical measurements is central to research areas such as environmental sensing, medical diagnostics, and small-volume chemical analysis.  Current methods typically employ laser-induced fluorescence or electrochemical detection.  However, the molecular information provided by these methods is often limited.  In contrast, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy provides highly resolved vibrational information at room-temperature and does not suffer from photobleaching.  We are designing SERS-based probes to monitor single living cells in flowing systems (e.g. capillaries).  Strong Raman scattering molecules are immobilized on the surface of the silver or gold nanoparticles and the SERS spectra of these reporters are used to detect the cells and probe the surrounding chemical environment.  A series of nanoparticles have been synthesized and the ability to quantitatively detect these nanostructures in flow is presented.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering based optical probes for real-time chemical detection

245th National Meeting (2013)

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