Development of Ultrabright Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Nanotags.

表面增强拉曼散射(SERS)是一种非常灵敏和选择性极高的技术，是近年来迅速兴起的一种超灵敏分析的有效方法。它比正常的拉曼散射有更大的增强，因此，它是检测痕量分析物的理想选择。由于获得了分子特有的光谱，它非常适合于检测混合物中的分析物。纳米标签是一种光学明亮的金属纳米颗粒，具有很强的SERS响应，可用于在生物分析中进行超灵敏检测，例如用于检测与疾病相关的生物标记物。纳米标签可以用不同的SERS活性标记编码，以实现非常灵敏的多路检测，因为它们独特而尖锐的振动光谱。本项目建议开发和优化光学明亮的纳米标签，以使用785 nm及以上的激发波长进行检测。这将需要合成不同类型的金属纳米颗粒，这些纳米颗粒对电磁纳米颗粒的红外区具有吸收，并且对它们作为标签的环境将是稳定的。这可以包括，例如，将纳米标签封装在二氧化硅或聚合物中。我们还将使用最先进的分析技术来表征纳米标签，并在单个粒子水平上了解它们的SERS特性。

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is an extremely sensitive and selective technique that is rapidly emerging as an effective method for ultrasensitive analysis. It offers an increased enhancement over normal Raman scattering; therefore, it is ideal for the detection of trace amounts of analyte. And because of the molecularly specific spectra obtained it is perfect for detecting analytes in mixtures. Nanotags are optical bright metal nanoparticles that give a strong SERS response and can be used to carry out ultrasensitive detection in, for example, bioanalytical assays for the detection of disease relevant biomarkers. Nanotags can be coded with different SERS active labels to allow very sensitive multiplex detection due to their unique and sharp vibrational spectra.This project proposes to develop and optimise optically bright nanotags to carry out detection using excitation wavelengths at 785 nm and above. This will require synthesising different types of metal nanoparticles which have absorbances towards the infrared region of the electromagnetic nanoparticles and will be stable to the environment in which they will act as a label. This may involve, for example, encapsulation of the nanotags in silica or polymer. We will also use state of the art, advanced analytical techniques to characterise the nanotags and understand their SERS properties at the single particle level.