Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Applications in Chemical Detection

Surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has emerged as a powerful analytical technique for trace‐level chemical detection, combining molecular fingerprinting with extreme sensitivity. By exploiting the amplification of Raman signals in close proximity to nanostructured metallic surfaces, SERS enables the identification and quantification of a wide range of analytes—including environmental pollutants, food contaminants and biomarkers—in complex matrices. Advances in nanofabrication have yielded substrates with high reproducibility, uniformity and cost-effectiveness, facilitating on-site and point-of-care applications. Recent efforts have focussed on integrating SERS with sample-preparation strategies such as immuno­magnetic separation and microfluidics to enhance selectivity and reduce analysis time. The versatility of SERS extends to the detection of pesticides and antibiotics in water and food, illicit drug residues in biological fluids, and volatile organic compounds at ultra-low concentrations. Ongoing developments in portable Raman spectrometers and machine-learning algorithms for spectral interpretation are further propelling SERS towards routine environmental monitoring, food safety control and clinical diagnostics on a global scale.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated the large-scale fabrication of screen-printed silver nanoparticle substrates on flexible plastic films, achieving highly uniform hot-spot distributions and enhancement factors capable of detecting dyes and toxins at sub-nanomolar levels. The reproducibility of these substrates has been confirmed across hundreds of measurement points, with detection limits reaching 10⁻¹⁰ M for model compounds and enabling direct analysis of melamine in liquid milk without extensive sample preparation. In a complementary approach, the combination of aggregated graphene oxide–gold nanoparticle hybrids with immunomagnetic bead separation has yielded a rapid protocol for quantifying clenbuterol in animal urine. This method attains detection limits below 1 ng mL⁻¹, with recovery rates exceeding 80 per cent and analysis times of under 15 minutes per sample, demonstrating robust day-to-day precision and substrate stability over several weeks.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Applications in Chemical Detection publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy applications in chemical detection across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Raman scattering: Inelastic scattering of photons by molecules that yields vibrational information characteristic of molecular bonds.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS): Technique that amplifies Raman signals of molecules adsorbed on or near nanostructured metallic surfaces.

Plasmonic substrate: Nanostructured material, typically gold or silver, that supports collective oscillations of conduction electrons to enhance electromagnetic fields.

Localised surface plasmon resonance (LSPR): Resonant oscillation of conduction electrons in metallic nanoparticles induced by incident light, generating strong local field enhancement.

Hot spot: Highly localised region of intensified electromagnetic field on a plasmonic substrate where Raman enhancement is maximal.

References

1. Low-Cost, Disposable, Flexible and Highly Reproducible Screen Printed SERS Substrates for the Detection of Various Chemicals. Scientific Reports (2015).
2. Highly Sensitive Detection of Clenbuterol in Animal Urine Using Immunomagnetic Bead Treatment and Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy. Scientific Reports (2016).
3. Detection of Triphenylmethane Drugs in Fish Muscle by Surface‐Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Coupled with Au‐Ag Core‐Shell Nanoparticles. Journal of Nanomaterials (2014).
4. Facile Fabrication of Micro/Nano Hierarchical SERS Sensor via Anisotropic Etching and Electrochemical Treatment for Malachite Green Detection. Applied Sciences (2019).
5. Rapid Detection of Clenbuterol Residues in Pork Using Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy. Biosensors (2022).