title: Prospects for plasmonic hot spots in single molecule SERS towards the chemical imaging of live cells.
abstract: Single molecule surface enhanced Raman scattering (SM-SERS) is a highly local effect occurring at sharp edges, interparticle junctions and crevices or other geometries with a sharp nanoroughness of plasmonic nanostructures ("hot spots"). The emission of an individual molecule at SM-SERS conditions depends on the local enhancement field of the hot spots, as well as the binding affinity and positioning at a hot spot region. In this regard, the stability of near-field nano-optics at hot spots is critical, particularly in a biological milieu. In this perspective review, we address recent advances in the experimental and theoretical approaches for the successful development of SM-SERS. Significant progress in the understanding of the interaction between the excitation electromagnetic field and the surface plasmon modes at the metallic or metallic/dielectric interface of various curvatures are described. New knowledge on methodological strategies for positioning the analytes for SM-SERS and Raman-assisted SERS or the SERS imaging of live cells has been acquired and displayed. In the framework of the extensive development of SM-SERS as an advancing diagnostic analytical technique, the real-time SERS chemical imaging of intracellular compartments and tracing of individual analytes has been achieved. In this context, we highlight the tremendous potential of SERS chemical imaging as a future prospect in SERS and SM-SERS for the prediction and diagnosis of diseases.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Department of Interfaces, D14476 Potsdam (Golm), Germany. darya.radziuk@mpikg.mpg.de.
authors.forename: Darya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Radziuk
authors.forename: Helmuth
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moehwald
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000737:chemistry; D005947:Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007477:Ions / Q000032:analysis; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000737:chemistry; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman
chemical_list: D007477:Ions; D008055:Lipids; D012834:Silver; D006046:Gold; D005947:Glucose