Abstract

Novel substrates based on noble metal nanoparticles are currently the subject of extensive research in fields such as biological sensing, medicine, spectroscopy and nano-photonics due to the large electromagnetic fields generated in the vicinity of the metal surface via a surface plasmon resonance. The dependence of the resonance wavelength on the size, shape, local dielectric environment and interparticle spacing, enables engineering of the metal nanoparticle substrates to target specific requirements [1]. Here we report the fabrication of silver impregnated polycarbonate composites as substrates for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) where the plasmonic properties can be controlled via the reaction parameters. Although silver has superior plasmonic properties to other metals, it is often over looked for SERS substrates as it is highly prone to oxidation. The embedding of silver nanoparticles into polymer substrates offers substantial environmental protection, allowing for the construction of temporally stable plasmonic devices that can exploit the mechanical flexibility of the polymers and prevent particle agglomeration. These nanoparticle composites offer a number of advantages as SERS substrates as they are cheap, easily processed, and are bio-compatible.

© 2007 IEEE