Abstract

Part 1: Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an effective tool for vibrational spectroscopy of various molecules as it offers several orders of magnitude higher sensitivity than inherently weak spontaneous Raman spectroscopy by exciting localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) on metal substrates. However, SERS is not very reliable for biomedical applications because it often sacrifices reproducibility, surface uniformity, biocompatibility, and durability due to its dependence on hot spots, easy oxidization, and photothermal heat generation. In this talk, I report the design, fabrication, and use of a metal-free, topologically tailored nanostructure composed of porous carbon nanowires in an array as a SERS substrate without the need for LSPR for Raman signal enhancement, thereby overcoming all these problems in conventional SERS [1, 2]. Specifically, it provides not only high Raman signal enhancement (about six orders of magnitude) due to its strong broadband charge-transfer resonance, but also exceptionally high reproducibility due to the absence of hot spots, high durability due to no oxidization, and high compatibility to biomolecules due to its fluorescence quenching capability.

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