May 5th 2025
A new comprehensive review explores how wearable plasmonic sensors using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) are changing the landscape for non-invasive health monitoring. By combining nanotechnology, AI, and real-time spectroscopy analysis to detect critical biomarkers in human sweat, this integration of nanomaterials, flexible electronics, and AI is changing how we monitor health and disease in real-time.
Investigating Forensics Applications of Raman Spectroscopy, ATR FT-IR, and Chemometrics
December 10th 2021As forensic analysis continues to advance, such as in the understanding of source identification and analysis of trace quantities of bodily fluids, spectroscopic techniques and machine learning are playing a significant role. Igor K. Lednev, a chemistry professor at the University at Albany, SUNY, in Albany, New York, has been working in this field with his team. The analytical methods currently under investigation include Raman spectroscopy, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy, and advanced chemometric classification and analysis methods. We recently interviewed him about his work.
Investigating Protein Receptors and Other Biomolecules Using SERS and TERS
September 2nd 2021Zac Schultz of The Ohio State University and his team used tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) with gold nanostars to investigate chemical reactions involved in protein–ligand binding. He recently spoke with Spectroscopy about his findings.
Exploring Neurochemistry Using Raman Spectroscopy
September 2nd 2021Bhavya Sharma is the winner of the 2021 Emerging Leader in Molecular Spectroscopy Award. We recently interviewed her about her work conducting research to detect active and important biomolecules related to hormone regulation, neurological health, and disease diagnosis.
Recording the Raman Spectrum of a Single Molecule
September 2nd 2021Analytical chemists are continually striving to advance techniques to make it possible to observe and measure matter and processes at smaller and smaller scales. Professor Vartkess Ara Apkarian and his team at the University of California, Irvine have made a significant breakthrough in this quest: They have recorded the Raman spectrum of a single azobenzene thiol molecule. The approach, which breaks common tenets about surface-enhanced Raman scattering/spectroscopy (SERS) and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), involved imaging an isolated azobenzene thiol molecule on an atomically flat gold surface, then picking it up and recording its Raman spectrum using an electrochemically etched silver tip, in an ultrahigh vacuum cryogenic scanning tunneling microscope. For the resulting paper detailing the effort [1], Apkarian and his associates are the 2021 recipients of the William F. Meggers Award, given annually by the Society for Applied Spectroscopy to the authors of the outstanding paper appearing in the journal Applied Spectroscopy. We spoke to Apkarian about this research, and what being awarded this honor means to him and his team. This interview is part of an ongoing series with the winners of awards that are presented at the annual SciX conference. The award will be presented to Apkarian at this fall’s event, which will be held in person in Providence, Rhode Island, September 28–October 1.
An Adventure with Light and Reflections on Science
September 2nd 2021Working at the frontiers of biotechnology, fiberoptics, lasers technique, and molecular spectroscopy, Tuan Vo-Dinh of Duke University has developed multiple sensor technologies for medical research and diagnostics. Throughout this work, Vo-Dinh and his research colleagues have brought spectroscopy to biomedical applications. In this second recent interview, Vo-Dinh talks about his research work and philosophy.
An increasing number of antibiotic residue problems in food have emerged around the world. We examine how SERS is used to identify antibiotic residues in chicken, focusing on doxycycline hydrochloride and tylosin.
Raman Spectroscopy: A Key Technique in Investigating Carbon-Based Materials
August 1st 2021This article explains the key steps of using Raman technology to investigate carbon and carbon-based materials—such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, and carbon fibers and composites—as well as the process of analyzing the spectra.
Using confocal Raman imaging and other advanced measurement techniques, we study the localized strain characteristics of tungsten diselenide (WSe2), an important nanomaterial used for optoelectronic device applications.
Tracking Bioactive Compounds Produced by Genetically Engineered Yeast Cells Using Raman Imaging
June 1st 2021Using Raman imaging, wild-type and engineered yeast cells were compared for their ability to produce bioactive compounds. Raman imaging microscopy is able to visualize locales, relative abundance, and production efficiencies of biologically active compounds for the individual yeast cells.
A Dual Nanostructured Approach to SERS Substrates Amenable to Large-Scale Production
June 1st 2021SERS can amplify Raman signals, but to make the technique practical for industrial use, large quantities of substrate are needed. The approach described here could enable cost-effective, reproducible manufacturing of SERS substrates at large scale.
Raman Spectroscopy as a Tool for Rapid Feedback of Perovskite Growth Crystallinity and Composition
June 1st 2021Perovskites are known to be useful for fabrication of solar cells, and their crystalline structure plays an important role in their electronic properties. Here, we show how Raman analysis is able to confirm the presence of the required crystalline phase for solar cell production.
Terahertz Spectral Characterization of Plasma Spray–Deposited Nickel Film on an Alumina Cylinder
April 1st 2021Plasma spray–deposited metal films are used in many industrial applications. This study shows how high resolution terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) can be used to analyze and characterize such films.