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Chapter 3
Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS)
in Bioscience: A Review of Application
Jolanta Bukowska and Piotr Piotrowski
J. Bukowska () · P. Piotrowski
department of Chemistry, university of Warsaw, Pasteur 1,
02-093, Warszawa, Poland
e-mail: jbukow@chem.uw.edu.pl
Abstract this article reviews some recent applications of surface-enhanced
Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy in biology, biochemistry and biomedicine.
We start with a short description of theoretical background of Raman scattering
enhancement by the plasmonic nanoparticles. SERS is a phenomenon observed for
molecules in a close proximity to the surface of metallic nanostructures. We present
an overview of SERS substrates fabricated using various physical and chemical
methods. SERS spectroscopy, which combines very high sensitivity with molecular
specificity, is a powerful technique for studying biologically important systems,
ranging from simple molecules like amino acids, to extremely complex samples
such as living cells and tissues. We demonstrate great potential of SERS not only
for detection and identification of (bio)molecules, but also in monitoring various
biochemical processes. the strategies that are used for biosensing with the aid of
SERS spectroscopy are briefly described.
Keywords Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) • SERS of biological
molecules • Biosensors • Intracellular SERS • Nanoparticle probes
3.1 Introduction
Inelastic scattering of light by molecules, utilized by Raman spectroscopy, is nowadays commonly used to provide valuable information on molecular structure as
well as chemical composition of the studied samples. Conventional (or normal)
Raman spectroscopy suffers from very low scattering cross-sections compared with
other spectroscopic methods. this significantly limits its applications to investigate
molecules in solutions at low concentrations, which is a common requirement in
analytical chemistry and biological systems. the simplest way to increase Raman
intensity is exciting the spectrum with the laser beam of the energy corresponding
to the energy difference between ground and excited electronic state. this effect,
called resonance Raman (RR) scattering allows us to enhance the spectrum several orders of magnitude. however, in case of colorless samples, this method requires excitation in ultraviolet (uv), while the most popular light sources in Raman
m. Baranska (ed.), Optical Spectroscopy and Computational Methods in Biology and
Medicine, Challenges and Advances in Computational Chemistry and Physics 14,
doI 10.1007/978-94-007-7832-0_3, © Springer Science+Business media dordrecht 2014
Chapter 3
Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS)
in Bioscience: A Review of Application
Jolanta Bukowska and Piotr Piotrowski
J. Bukowska () · P. Piotrowski
department of Chemistry, university of Warsaw, Pasteur 1,
02-093, Warszawa, Poland
e-mail: jbukow@chem.uw.edu.pl
Abstract this article reviews some recent applications of surface-enhanced
Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy in biology, biochemistry and biomedicine.
We start with a short description of theoretical background of Raman scattering
enhancement by the plasmonic nanoparticles. SERS is a phenomenon observed for
molecules in a close proximity to the surface of metallic nanostructures. We present
an overview of SERS substrates fabricated using various physical and chemical
methods. SERS spectroscopy, which combines very high sensitivity with molecular
specificity, is a powerful technique for studying biologically important systems,
ranging from simple molecules like amino acids, to extremely complex samples
such as living cells and tissues. We demonstrate great potential of SERS not only
for detection and identification of (bio)molecules, but also in monitoring various
biochemical processes. the strategies that are used for biosensing with the aid of
SERS spectroscopy are briefly described.
Keywords Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) • SERS of biological
molecules • Biosensors • Intracellular SERS • Nanoparticle probes
3.1 Introduction
Inelastic scattering of light by molecules, utilized by Raman spectroscopy, is nowadays commonly used to provide valuable information on molecular structure as
well as chemical composition of the studied samples. Conventional (or normal)
Raman spectroscopy suffers from very low scattering cross-sections compared with
other spectroscopic methods. this significantly limits its applications to investigate
molecules in solutions at low concentrations, which is a common requirement in
analytical chemistry and biological systems. the simplest way to increase Raman
intensity is exciting the spectrum with the laser beam of the energy corresponding
to the energy difference between ground and excited electronic state. this effect,
called resonance Raman (RR) scattering allows us to enhance the spectrum several orders of magnitude. however, in case of colorless samples, this method requires excitation in ultraviolet (uv), while the most popular light sources in Raman
m. Baranska (ed.), Optical Spectroscopy and Computational Methods in Biology and
Medicine, Challenges and Advances in Computational Chemistry and Physics 14,
doI 10.1007/978-94-007-7832-0_3, © Springer Science+Business media dordrecht 2014