ABSTRACT
One of the most difficult hurdles for SERS and its applicability to the clinic has been the biocompatibility of nanoparticles and nanoparticle substrates. Widely believed to be the noble metal exhibiting the largest SERS enhancements, silver is known to be toxic to cells. Researchers have long known that experimenting with the size and shape of the nanostructures brings added enhancement; however, the traditional syntheses of these nanostructures incorporate many chemicals that are not biocompatible and can be difficult to wash out.
