title: Nanoporous membranes with mixed nanoclusters for Raman-based label-free monitoring of peroxide compounds.
abstract: Monitoring trace amounts of peroxide-based molecules is challenging because of the lack of common optical signatures (fluorescence or absorption in UV-vis range) or chemical functionality easily detectable with common routines. To overcome this issue, we suggest a photochemical decomposition approach followed by the analysis of chemical fragments by a fast, sensitive, and reliable Raman spectroscopic method. To facilitate this approach, we employed a novel design of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active nanoporous substrate based on porous alumina membranes decorated with mixed nanoclusters composed of gold nanorods and nanoparticles. The detectable amount of HMTD below 2 pg demonstrated here is about 3 orders of magnitude lower than the current limit of detection. We suggest that laser-induced photocatalytic decomposition onto nanoparticle clusters is critical for achieving label-free detection of unstable and nonresonant organic molecules.
authors.affiliation: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA.
authors.forename: Sehoon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Hyunhyub
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Srikanth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singamaneni
authors.forename: Ray
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gunawidjaja
authors.forename: Vladimir V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Tsukruk
mesh_terms: D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry; D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D053834:Explosive Agents / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000737:chemistry; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D010782:Photolysis; D016062:Porosity; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; D053834:Explosive Agents; D005609:Free Radicals; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; C058103:hexamethylenetriperoxidediamine; D000537:Aluminum Oxide