An Inside Look at the Latest in Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful analytical technique that combines Raman spectroscopy with the enhancement effects induced by the interaction of light with nanostructured metal surfaces (1). SERS facilitates the structural identification of low-concentration substances by enhancing electrical fields or chemical properties through plasmon-mediated mechanisms (1). Because of its exceptional sensitivity and specificity, SERS finds extensive utility across diverse fields including surface chemistry, catalysis, nanotechnology, biology, biomedicine, food science, environmental analysis, and more (1).

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SERS is designed to overcome the limitations of traditional Raman spectroscopy. As a result, SERS is beginning to be applied regularly in various industries to conduct analysis of many substances and their vibrational spectra.

Over the past couple weeks, Spectroscopy has published several news articles that document recent research efforts that have used SERS in their analysis. Below, we have compiled a list of the top news articles involving SERS, according to our readers and subscribers. Happy reading!

SERS Tested for Early Diagnosis of Pancytopenia-Related Diseases

SERS has been used often for biological, medical, and clinical analysis, especially when detecting diseases such as pancytopenia. Pancytopenia is a condition where patients have fewer red, white, and platelet cells (2). In this recent study led by scientists from Northeastern University in Liaoning, China, serum surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was used to test potential for the early differential diagnosis of pancytopenia-related diseases (2).

SERS-Based Skin Cancer Detection Method Tested

Melanoma is a specific type of skin cancer that occurs when melanocytes start growing out of control (3). Melanocytes are skin cells that give skin a tan or brown color (3). Scientists and clinicians alike are searching for new detection methods for melanoma, and spectroscopy could be a potential option. A recent study published in Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular by scientists from East China University of Science investigated how SERS could help in this matter. The study documents a novel approach for early melanoma detection based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy (4).

Ultraviolet SERS Efficiency for Fluorescing Chemicals Tested with Aluminum-Active Nanostructures

In this study, a collaborative effort between researchers from the Institute of Electronics at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in Sofia, Bulgaria, and the International Center for Materials for NanoArchitectonics (MANA) at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) in Tsukuba, Japan produced first-of-its-kind production of aluminum (Al)-active nanostructures on aluminum nitride (AlN) substrates by nanosecond (ns) laser pulses, or on fused silica by direct picosecond (ps) laser deposition (5).

Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Spectroscopy Used to Detect COVID-19 Virus

The emergency of Covid-19 led to a widescale, global health pandemic that transformed the way human beings lived. Scientists have dedicated their research efforts to combating this virus, including how to detect it. In this study, scientists from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina showed the results of how their surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy system fared for detecting the SARS-CoV-2 virus (6).

References

(1) Han, X. X.; Rodriguez, R. S.; Haynes, C. L.; et al. Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy. Nat. Rev. Methods Prim. 2021, 1, 87. DOI: 10.1038/s43586-021-00083-6

(2) Acevedo, A. SERS Tested for Early Diagnosis of Pancytopenia-Related Diseases. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/sers-tested-for-early-diagnosis-of-pancytopenia-related-diseases (accessed 2024-05-03).

(3) What Is Melanoma Skin Cancer? American Cancer Society 2024. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/melanoma-skin-cancer/about/what-is-melanoma.html (accessed 2024-05-03)

(4) Acevedo, A. SERS-Based Skin Cancer Detection Method Tested. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/sers-based-skin-cancer-detection-method-tested (accessed 2024-05-03).

(5) Lavery, P. Ultraviolet SERS Efficiency for Fluorescing Chemicals Tested with Aluminum-Active Nanostructures. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/ultraviolet-sers-efficiency-fluorescing-chemicals-tested-aluminum-active-nanostructures (accessed 2024-05-03).

(6) Acevedo, A. Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) Used to Detect Covid-19 Virus. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/surface-enhanced-raman-scattering-sers-spectroscopy-used-to-detect-covid-19-virus (accessed 2024-05-03)