Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a sensitive and powerful spectroscopic technique for detecting low concentrations of ionic or molecular species adsorbed on nanometer-sized metallic colloidal particles. The adsorption of molecules on the metal particles reduces the fluorescence background and offers integration of functional particles without loss of optical properties. Among the many substrates,colloidal silver nanoparticle synthesis is easy and is preferred for the convenience of monitoring the nanoparticle solutions by UV spectroscopy. However, a simple way of fabricating active substrates with strong SERS properties is of key importance for developing the technique and implementing practical applications. Much research is thus going on in the field of controlling the physical properties of nanoparticles.Most of the commercial dispersions of such metal nanoparticles are incompatible with polymer matrices and substrates because of their lack of adhesion. Thus, in our studies we have utilized the unique inverse micelle behavior of amphiphilic hyperbranched polyethyleneimine with a hydrophilic core and hydrophobic shell to implement and control the synthesis of long term stable sliver nanoparticle dispersion with narrow size distribution. The polar domains of these micelles effectively stabilize the silver salts in a non-polar environment. Our research is focused on the influence of the density of the hydrophobic shell with respect to the stability of the silver and the SERS signal of various drugs of our interest. The SERS effect of benzotriazole (a drug precursor) on our silver nanoparticle encapsulated surface will be examined.

SERS detection on a stable silver nanoparticle imbedded polymer film

248th National Meeting (2014)

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