Collaborative Research: N-Heterocyclic Carbene Functionalized Metal Films and Nanoparticles for Next-Generation Surface-Enhanced Spectroscopy and Sensing

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In this project, funded by the Macromolecular, Supramolecular, and Nanochemistry program of the Chemistry Division, Professors Jon Camden and Marya Lieberman of the University of Notre Dame and Professor David Jenkins of the University of Tennessee are developing robust, reusable, and highly specific nanoparticles for ultrasensitive detection of chemical species in complex biological and chemical systems. To meet this challenge, special and unique chemical modification of the surface of these nanoparticles is done. After modification of the surfaces, these particles can be applied to serve as sensors for specific molecules. This effort is also focusing on devising new methods of analysis that can be used in low-resource environments and drug testing. The highly collaborative nature will benefit students working in these labs. The success of this research has the potential to impact a wide range of sensor applications such as imaging cells, detecting trace contaminants, and analyzing samples outside of a laboratory setting. The unique optical properties of plasmonic nanoparticles and plasmonic assemblies has driven an explosion of new sensing and imaging modalities over the past several decades. The wide-reaching impact of functionalized metallic nanostructures is evidenced by studies which range from fundamental research to commercial applications. In this work, a transformative functionalization approach based on N-heterocyclic carbenes is employed for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). This collaborative effort specifically targets a regenerative sensor for hydrogen peroxide and an in vitro pH sensor with expanded range. Additionally, procedures are established that make NHC functionalized films and colloids available to a non-specialist audience by proposing a "one-pot" synthesis of modified surfaces from conventional imidazoliums. These demonstrations will showcase how effective this new technology is for the broader chemical sensing community.