Development of highly flexible and cost-effective cello tape-based surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate with extremely high sensitivity

• Main Authors: Senapati, Sneha, Kaushik, Arvind, Singh, J. P.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemical detection; Low concentrations; Nanorods; Nanostructure; Physical vapor deposition; Raman spectroscopy; Rhodamine 6G; Sensitivity analysis; Silver; Spectrum analysis; Substrates
• ISSN: 0094-243X; 1551-7616
• DOI: 10.1063/5.0251593

The competitive study aims to develop a highly flexible and affordable substrate was designed on cello tape that employs surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to spot analytes at extremely low concentrations. Flexible substrates offer a benefit over inflexible substrates as they can adapt to the underneath surface and are capable of being easily converted to any desired shape or size, depending on their intended usage. SERS has matured into a versatile technique ideal for detection of chemical and biological molecules. The key advantage of SERS-based detection is its capacity to significantly enhance Raman signals when in vicinity to plasmonic nanostructures. The silver nanorods (AgNRs) array substrate fabricated on flexible cello tape surface using physical vapor deposition technique GLAD. This oblique angle deposition (OAD) technique is facile method for fabricating high-end Ag nanorods for obtaining best SERS enhancement. Characterization nanostructures fabricated on flexible cello tape AgNR based substrates was done using FESEM, TEM, EDX, XRD and UV-Vis. The characterization showed successful growth of pristine AgNR columnar structures on the very flexible cello tape surfaces. The SERS spectra of the Rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) dye on substrates fabricated on cello tape impregnated with AgNRs were recorded. SERS measurements were performed on Rh6G molecules at various concentrations, ranging from 10−6 M to 10−15 M, in order to assess the sensitivity of the substrates. Femtomolar level detection was obtained using these novel substrates showing its immense sensitivity. Because of the high flexibility, our SERS substrates can find “paste and peel off” applications in sensing, single molecule detection and other real-world problems.