title: Wavelength modulated surface enhanced (resonance) Raman scattering for background-free detection.
abstract: Spectra in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) are always accompanied by a continuum emission called the 'background' which complicates analysis and is especially problematic for quantification and automation. Here, we implement a wavelength modulation technique to eliminate the background in SERS and its resonant version, surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS). This is demonstrated on various nanostructured substrates used for SER(R)S. An enhancement in the signal to noise ratio for the Raman bands of the probe molecules is also observed. This technique helps to improve the analytical ability of SERS by alleviating the problem due to the accompanying background and thus making observations substrate independent.
authors.affiliation: SUPA, School of Physics & Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland KY16 9SS, UK.
authors.forename: Bavishna B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Praveen
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Steuwe
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mazilu
authors.forename: Kishan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dholakia
authors.forename: Sumeet
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mahajan
mesh_terms: D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010316:Particle Size; D010636:Phenols / Q000737:chemistry*; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000379:methods*; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D010636:Phenols; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; C042983:thiophenol