Platform for chemical and biological sensing by surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsMartin Moskovits, Seung Joon Lee, Ioana Pavel
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Abstract
Methods of analysis, and compositions relating to such, to determine the presence or absence of an analyte in a sample utilizing a composite substrate which facilitates surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy through the use of ‘hot spots’ of the form ‘metal/analyte/metal’ are presented. Additionally, substrates which contain ‘hot spots’ of the form ‘metal/analyte/metal’ and substrates which facilitate the formation of ‘hot spots’ of the form ‘metal/analyte/metal’ are presented as well as methods for making these substrates.
Claims43
A method of analysis to determine the presence or absence of an analyte in a sample comprising:
- i) treating a substrate comprising:
- a porous matrix of a first material, wherein the pores of said matrix are nanometer in scale, wherein the distance between the pores is nanometer in scale, and wherein the pores are filled with deposits of a surface-enhanced-Raman-active metal;
- wherein said treating provides at least two surfaces of surface-enhanced-Raman- active metal positioned a distance from each other suitable for generating a surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy signal;
- ii) contacting said substrate with a sample suspected of containing an analyte;
- iii) detecting a surface enhanced Raman spectrum (SERS) signal;
- wherein the SERS signal is indicative of the presence or absence of the analyte.
A substrate comprising a porous matrix of a first material, wherein the pores of said matrix are nanometer in scale, wherein the distance between the pores is nanometer in scale, and wherein the pores are filled with deposits of a surface-enhanced-Raman- active metal.
A method of making a substrate comprising:
- filling the pores of a porous matrix of a first material with nanometer scale deposits of surface-enhanced-Raman-active metal, wherein said pores are nanometer in scale, and
- wherein the distance between said pores is nanometer in scale.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.