Turning on hotspots: supracolloidal SERS probes made brilliant by an external activation mechanism

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Sophie Jancke - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Chen Liu - , Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Author)
  • Ruosong Wang - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Swagato Sarkar - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Quinn A. Besford - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Tobias A.F. König - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden (cfaed) (Author)
  • Jürgen Popp - , Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Author)
  • Dana Cialla-May - , Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Author)
  • Christian Rossner - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, TUD Dresden University of Technology (Author)

Abstract

We achieved external activation of local hot-spot sites in supracolloidal assembly structures. The concept was demonstrated by boosting surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) efficiency by one order of magnitude through a heating-induced process. Our approach involves assembling gold nanoparticles with distinct dimensions, i.e. 16 and 80 nm, into well-defined planet-satellite-type arrangement structures using thermoresponsive (poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)) star polymer linkers. Insights into the assembly process were obtained by calculations within the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory framework. We observe one order of magnitude increase in SERS enhancement by a heating-induced volume-phase transition. This magnification aligns with simulations run using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The implications of this adaptive supracolloidal concept are twofold: Firstly, our approach bypasses limitations of existing systems that are associated with the limited accessibility of electromagnetic hot-spot sites in strongly coupled, static assemblies of plasmonic nanoparticles, by providing the capability of dynamic hot-spot re-configuration. Second, these externally activated probes offer promising opportunities for the development of messenger materials and associated sensing strategies.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)18687-18695
Number of pages9
JournalNanoscale
Volume15
Issue number46
Publication statusPublished - 2 Nov 2023
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 37941432

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas