STTR Phase I: Novel Nanostructured Substrates for Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS)

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This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project will develop a new type of nanostructured substrate for applications in arsenide detection using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Arsenic is a well known toxic chemical which exists in both nature and industrial processes, and its detection and monitoring at very low concentration is highly desired. SERS, which relies on Raman signal enhancements for molecules in close contact with noble metal nanostructures, can provide essential information for detection and identification of biological and chemical materials including arsenic. However, its application has been obstructed primarily by the lack of SERS substrates that can be fabricated with high performance and in a repeatable fashion. The proposed research aims to resolve this issue by developing SERS substrates through designing, fabricating, and testing a new nanostructured noble metal substrate.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will be high-performance and low-cost SERS substrates that can be employed for monitoring drinking water for chemical toxins such as arsenic and cyanide. Additionally, a large range of SERS-related technologies will benefit from the development of improved design and fabrication processes for plasmonic nanostructures. Success of the project will facilitate large-scale manufacturing of reliable SERS substrates for applications in defense, medical diagnostics, environment monitoring, drug development, forensics and analytical chemistry.