title: Sensitive Detection of Polycyclic Aromatic Molecules: Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering via π-π Stacking.
abstract: We report silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) with high stability, sensitivity, and no surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) background. The Ag NPs were synthesized via a one-step process with polysodium styrenesulfonate (PSSS) templates, and they could efficiently adsorb polycyclic aromatic molecules via π-π stacking. The adsorption mechanisms and applicability were systematically studied by experimental measurements and theoretical simulations. When the polycyclic aromatic analytes were adsorbed on the PSSS-templated Ag NPs, the vibrations of π-π stacking-bound moieties were attenuated, yet those of the other unbound aromatic moieties increased. Most importantly, when the analytes had more than two π-π stacking binding sites, the PSSS-templated Ag NPs could trap the analytes by focusing through the optical force induced or via the simultaneously formed analyte-Ag NPs aggregates. This afforded high SERS intensity and very low detection limits.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, ‡Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, and §School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University , Shanghai, 200062, China.
authors.forename: Yufeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, ‡Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, and §School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University , Shanghai, 200062, China.
authors.forename: Xiantong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, ‡Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, and §School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University , Shanghai, 200062, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, ‡Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, and §School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University , Shanghai, 200062, China.
authors.forename: Mengfang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, ‡Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, and §School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University , Shanghai, 200062, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, ‡Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, and §School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University , Shanghai, 200062, China.
authors.forename: Taiqun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, ‡Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, and §School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University , Shanghai, 200062, China.
authors.forename: Yuting
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, ‡Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, and §School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University , Shanghai, 200062, China.
authors.forename: Haifeng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, ‡Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, and §School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University , Shanghai, 200062, China.
authors.forename: Sanjun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, ‡Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, and §School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University , Shanghai, 200062, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, ‡Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, and §School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University , Shanghai, 200062, China.
authors.forename: Jianhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu