How to Improve SERS for Wider Adoption in Complex Environments
In this segment, Bell addresses the key barriers that are preventing SERS from being more widely adopted in complex environments.
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an analytical technique that amplifies Raman scattering signals of molecules adsorbed onto nanostructured metal surfaces. These metal surfaces are usually silver, gold, or copper, enabling highly sensitive molecular detection down to single-molecule levels. This enhancement arises from localized surface plasmon resonances, which intensify the electromagnetic field near the metal surface (1). SERS combines the molecular specificity of Raman spectroscopy with remarkable signal amplification, making it a powerful tool across diverse fields (1). It is used in chemical and biological sensing, environmental monitoring, forensic analysis, food safety testing, and medical diagnostics for detecting trace amounts of pollutants, drugs, pathogens, and biomarkers with high sensitivity and selectivity (1).