title: Programmable SERS active substrates for chemical and biosensing applications using amorphous/crystalline hybrid silicon nanomaterial.
abstract: We present the creation of a unique nanostructured amorphous/crystalline hybrid silicon material that exhibits surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity. This nanomaterial is an interconnected network of amorphous/crystalline nanospheroids which form a nanoweb structure; to our knowledge this material has not been previously observed nor has it been applied for use as a SERS sensing material. This material is formed using a femtosecond synthesis technique which facilitates a laser plume ion condensation formation mechanism. By fine-tuning the laser plume temperature and ion interaction mechanisms within the plume, we are able to precisely program the relative proportion of crystalline Si to amorphous Si content in the nanospheroids as well as the size distribution of individual nanospheroids and the size of Raman hotspot nanogaps. With the use of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) and Crystal Violet (CV) chemical dyes, we have been able to observe a maximum enhancement factor of 5.38 × 10(6) and 3.72 × 10(6) respectively, for the hybrid nanomaterial compared to a bulk Si wafer substrate. With the creation of a silicon-based nanomaterial capable of SERS detection of analytes, this work demonstrates a redefinition of the role of nanostructured Si from an inactive to SERS active role in nano-Raman sensing applications.
authors.affiliation: Ultrashort laser nanomanufacturing research facility, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON, M5B 2K3, Canada.
authors.forename: Jeffery Alexander
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.affiliation: Ultrashort laser nanomanufacturing research facility, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON, M5B 2K3, Canada.
authors.forename: Krishnan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Venkatakrishnan
authors.affiliation: Nano-imaging lab, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON, M5B 2K3, Canada.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tan