ABSTRACT
Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a powerful spectroscopic technique that leverages the enormous electromagnetic ϐield enhancement caused by the excitation of an intense, sharp and localized surface plasmon resonance of metal nanostructures. The effect can provide rich structural and chemical information for molecules adsorbed on or bonded to SERS active nanometersized metal structures. Recent advances in nanotechnology and nanofabrication techniques have enabled researchers to design SERS active colloidal nanoparticle (NP) systems with optimized electromagnetic enhancements engendering a large variety of SERSbased bioanalytical and bioimaging applications. The advantages of SERS over standard ϐluorescent labeling techniques lie not only in its multiplexing capability and superior photostability, but also in the potential multimodal functionality provided by the other intrinsic properties of the metal NPs, such as the photothermal response which enable its therapeutic role in the treatment of cancer.1 This
chapter reviews the enhancement mechanisms that lead to SERS and discuss the important methods used to strengthen the effect. The chapter then focuses on recent reports of the achievements of metal NP-based SERS in bioanalytical applications with speciϐic attention given to its use in pathogen detection and bioimaging.
