Robust SERS Platforms Based on Annealed Gold Nanostructures Formed on Ultrafine Glass Substrates for Various (Bio)Applications

• Main Authors: Lan Zhou, Simone Poggesi, Giuliocesare Casari Bariani, Rakesh Mittapalli, Pierre-Michel Adam, Marisa Manzano, Rodica Elena Ionescu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-04-01
• Series: Biosensors
• Subjects: SERS on ultrafine solid supports; glass coverslips; BPE; thiol-DNA probe; annealed gold nanostructures
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6374/9/2/53

In this study, stable gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are fabricated for the first time on commercial ultrafine glass coverslips coated with gold thin layers (2 nm, 4 nm, 6 nm, and 8 nm) at 25 °C and annealed at high temperatures (350 °C, 450 °C, and 550 °C) on a hot plate for different periods of time. Such gold nanostructured coverslips were systematically tested via surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to identify their spectral performances in the presence of different concentrations of a model molecule, namely 1,2-bis-(4-pyridyl)-ethene (BPE). By using these SERS platforms, it is possible to detect BPE traces (10^−12 M) in aqueous solutions in 120 s. The stability of SERS spectra over five weeks of thiol-DNA probe (2 µL) deposited on gold nano-structured coverslip is also reported.