Longtime stability of silver-based SERS substrate in the environment and (bio)environment with variable temperature and humidity

• Published in: Sensors and actuators. A. Physical. 2019-01, Vol.285, p.566-572
• Main Authors: Kalachyova, Y., Mares, D., Jerabek, V., Elashnikov, R., Švorčík, V., Lyutakov, O.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: (Bio)environment; Bioavailability; Gratings (spectra); Humidity; Organic chemistry; Physiological effects; Raman spectroscopy; Reproducibility; SERS; Silver; Stability; Substrate; Substrates; Temperature
• ISSN: 0924-4247; 1873-3069
• DOI: 10.1016/j.sna.2018.11.037

[Display omitted] •Systematical study of the stability of SERS enhanced response of silver grating under various physical and chemical load is presented. The study of the stability of SERS response of silver grating under various physical and chemical load is presented.•The as-prepared silver gratings provide excellent enhancement and perfect reproducibility of SERS signal.•The substrates were exposed to cyclic temperature, humidity treatments and soaked in the physiological or BSA solutions.•Obtained results indicate that the temperature or humidity treatments affect the SERS efficiency only mildly.•Under the combined humidity and temperature treatments the substrate functionality is worsened strongly.•Soaking of SERS substrate in the physiological or BSA solutions significantly reduces the SERS efficiency and reproducibility. The increased involving of Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) in the.analytical and bioanalytical field makes this technique commercially available. However, the growing range of available SERS substrates opens the question regarding the stability of SERS substrates during their storage, transportation, and utilization. In this paper, we present systematical study of the stability of SERS enhanced response of SERS-active silver grating under various physical and chemical loads. The silver coated periodical gratings provide excellent enhancement and reproducibility of SERS signal, achieved at the macroscale. The substrate load procedures include the temperature, humidity tests, and their combination. Since the utilization of SERS substrates often involves their interaction with various (bio)environments, the effects of physiological media were studied too. In all cases, the effects of the loads were determined from the changes of SERS effectivity and reproducibility.