Nanostructured Substrates for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

The proposed program aims to demonstrate nanoengineered metal surfaces which will reproducibly enhance the Raman scattering of chemical and biological agents while still providing selective detection at trace concentrations. With proven success infielding SERS systems and published results in nanomaterials engineering, EIC Laboratories, Inc. and Clemson University are uniquely poised to collaboratively pursue this goal. Two main categories of nanoscale architecture will serve as the basis for theproposed substrates: colloidal crystal templated superstructures and self-organized arrays of engineered Ag nanocrystals, the latter under development by Clemson University. The nine month Phase I technical program goal is to evaluate the ability of thesetwo types of nanostructured surfaces to act as reproducible SERS substrates for the detection of chemical and biological species relevant to CBW protection at low levels with a high degree of selectivity. The Phase II program will build upon the Phase Iresults, improving the chemical selectivity of the nanoparticles and lowering the detection limits of the substrates through surface modification. In addition, during phase II we will pursue the development of a fieldable SERS spectrometer byincorporating substrates into the modular probe of a commercial portable Raman system. SERS promises to be a universal detector for trace constituents in air and water. It will have wide applications for monitoring water supplies, sensing air pollutants,monitoring facilities for possible chemical and biological terrorism, and incorporation into air reconnaissance platforms. Further applications are anticipated for screening for disease markers and toxins in clinical samples.