Porous carbon nanowire array for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy
Authors/Creators
- 1. Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China
- 2. Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Institute for Quantum Life Science, National Institute for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
- 3. Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- 4. Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Research Centre for Spectrochemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama 332-0012, Japan; Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, 705-1 Shimoimaizumi, Ebina, Kanagawa, 243-0435, Japan
- 5. Department of Chemistry, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
- 6. Health Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Takamatsu 761-0395, Japan
- 7. Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; School of Precision Instruments and Opto-electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- 8. Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Institute for Quantum Life Science, National Institute for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba 263-8555, Japan; Institute of Technological Sciences, Wuhan University, Hubei 430072, P. R. China; Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
Description
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful tool for vibrational spectroscopy as it provides several orders of magnitude higher sensitivity than inherently weak spontaneous Raman scattering by exciting localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) on metal substrates. However, SERS can be unreliable for biomedical use since it sacrifices reproducibility, uniformity, biocompatibility, and durability due to its strong dependence on “hot spots”, large photothermal heat generation, and easy oxidization. Here we demonstrate the design, fabrication, and use of a metal-free (i.e., LSPR-free), topologically tailored nanostructure composed of porous carbon nanowires in an array as a SERS substrate to overcome all these problems. Specifically, it offers not only high signal enhancement (~106) due to its strong broadband charge-transfer resonance, but also extraordinarily 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.