title: Tip-enhanced Raman scattering--Targeting structure-specific surface characterization for biomedical samples.
abstract: Tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) has become a powerful tool for nanoscale structural analysis for several branches of organic, inorganic, and biological chemistry. This highly sensitive technique enables molecular characterization with a lateral resolution far beyond Abbe's diffraction limit and correlates structural and topographic information on a nanometer scale. In this review, the current experimental concepts with respect to their strengths and obstacles are introduced and discussed. A further focus was set to biochemistry comprising applications like nucleic acids, proteins, and microorganisms, thus demonstrating the potential use towards the pharmaceutically relevant challenges where nanometer resolution is required.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Physical Chemistry and Abbe Center of Photonics, Helmholtzweg 4, Friedrich Schiller-University Jena, D-07743 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Gaurav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, Albert-Einstein-Str. 9, D-07745 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Deckert-Gaudig
authors.affiliation: Institute for Physical Chemistry and Abbe Center of Photonics, Helmholtzweg 4, Friedrich Schiller-University Jena, D-07743 Jena, Germany; Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, Albert-Einstein-Str. 9, D-07745 Jena, Germany. Electronic address: volker.deckert@uni-jena.de.
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Deckert
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D049329:Nanostructures; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D009696:Nucleic Acids; D011506:Proteins
keywords: High resolution; Lipids; Nucleic acids; Optical microscopy; Proteins; TERS applications; Tip-enhanced Raman