Nanocanal arrays decorated with metal nanoparticles for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

PHYS 493

Hyunhyub Ko, hko3@gatech.edu and Vladimir V. Tsukruk. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 771 Ferst Dr NE, Atlanta, GA 30332-0245
We designed nanocanal array of porous alumina membranes decorated with metal nanoparticles for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). We suggested that the laser beam passing inside of the cylindrical nanocanals through the total thickness of the porous membrane interacts efficiently with the metal nanoparticles dispersed on inner walls. Such multiple interactions along the 60 micrometer length initiate many more hot spots than those of any 2D substrates or disordered porous substrates, resulting in very efficient SERS properties. This study opens a path for facile fabrication of efficient, robust, and cost-effective SERS substrates by using metal nanoparticle assembly inside the nanoporous membranes for efficient chemical and biological sensing as was demonstrated here for trace explosive detection.