Isolating surface-enhanced Raman scattering hot spots using multiphoton lithography Eric D. Diebold, Paul Peng and Eric Mazur J. Am. Chem. Soc., 131, 16356-16357 (2009).  export citation DOI: 10.1021/ja9073936  alerts       email to friend We present a method for improving femtomole-level trace detection (10^9 molecules) using large-area surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates. Using multiphoton-induced exposure of a commercial photoresist, we physically limit the available molecular adsorption sites to only the electromagnetic “hot spots” on the substrate. This process prevents molecules from adsorbing to sites of weak SERS enhancement, while permitting adsorption to sites of extraordinary SERS enhancement. For a randomly adsorbed submonolayer of benzenethiol molecules the average Raman scattering cross section of the processed sample is 27 times larger than that of an unprocessed SERS substrate.
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posted: Oct 30, 2009