Design and Synthesis of Metallic Nanostars for Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering

表面增强拉曼散射(SERS)是一种超灵敏的技术，可用于从DNA、蛋白质、炸药和滥用药物等感兴趣的分子中提供识别信号。用于表面增强拉曼光谱的大多数增强材料都是基于等离子体材料，最显著的是球形的金或银颗粒。在这个项目中，我们将利用我们正在研究的一类新的纳米颗粒，纳米恒星。纳米星可以很容易地通过还原过程生成粒子，这些粒子在拉曼散射方面高度增强。我们将在前期工作的基础上，展示如何合成这些纳米颗粒，以及如何根据它们散射或吸收光的能力来调整它们的特性。我们打算通过将纳米星与适当的拉曼记者相结合来扩大我们使用纳米星进行表面增强拉曼光谱的研究能力，例如该小组最近发表的一些硫族染料以及一些传统的小分子记者。为了使这些纳米STAR拉曼报告结合物稳定，该项目将研究一系列不同的涂层，如二氧化硅、聚乙二醇和最不寻常的DNA。我们还将研究开发响应粒子的机会，这些粒子可以在遇到不同环境时改变拉曼信号，并在不同条件下提供不同波长的拉曼信号。我们的目标是：1.用拉曼报告分子在不同的激发波长范围内合成和表征一系列不同的金属纳米星。为了研究一系列不同的涂层来稳定这些纳米STAR拉曼报告结合物，并与外部资助者合作，调整这些纳米材料的性能以适应最终用途。生产纳米材料，根据环境条件，如温度、pH或溶剂的变化，提供不同的响应。

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a technique which is ultrasensitive and can be used to provide discriminatory signals from molecules of interest such as DNA, proteins, explosives and drugs of abuse. The majority of enhancing materials used for SERS are based on plasmonic materials and most notably spherical particles of gold or silver. In this project we will make use of a new class of nanoparticles which we are investigating, nanostars. The nanostars can be made quite easily through a reduction process to generate particles that are highly enhancing in terms of their Raman scattering. We will build on preliminary work where we have shown how to synthesise these nanoparticles and how their properties can be tailored in terms of their ability to scatter or absorb light. We intend to expand our research capabilities in using nanostars for SERS by combining them with appropriate Raman reporters such as some of the chalcogen dyes that have recently been published on from the group as well as some traditional small molecule reporters. To make these nanostar Raman reporter conjugates stable, the project will investigate a range of different coatings such as silica, PEG and most unusually DNA. We will also investigate the opportunity to develop responsive particles which change Raman signal on encountering different environments and provide Raman signals at different wavelengths under different conditions. The objectives are:1. To synthesise and characterise a range of different metallic nanostars with Raman reporter molecules over a range of different excitation wavelengths.2. To investigate a range of different coatings to stabilise these nanostar Raman reporter conjugates and in collaboration with the external funder tune the properties of these nanomaterials to suit the end use.3. To produce nanomaterials which provide different responses depending on the environmental conditions such as changes in temperature, pH or solvent.