title: Sub-100 nm gold nanohole-enhanced Raman scattering on flexible PDMS sheets.
abstract: Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a highly sensitive vibrational spectroscopy technique enabling detection of multiple analytes at the molecular level in a nondestructive and rapid manner. In this work, we introduce a new approach to fabricate deep subwavelength-scaled (sub-100 nm) metallic nanohole arrays (quasi-3D metallic nanoholes) on flexible and highly efficient SERS substrates. Target structures have been fabricated using a two-step process consisting of (i) direct pattern transfer of spin-coated polymer films onto polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates by plasma etching with transferred anodic aluminum oxide masks, and (ii) producing SERS-active substrates by functionalization of the etched polymeric films followed by Au deposition. Such an all-dry, top-down lithographic approach enables on-demand patterning of SERS-active metallic nanoholes with high structural fidelity even onto flexible and stretchable substrates, thus making possible multiple sensing modes in a versatile fashion. For example, metallic nanoholes on flexible PDMS substrates are highly amenable to their integration with curved glass sticks, which can be used in optical fiber-integrated SERS systems. Au surfaces immobilized by probe DNA molecules show a selective enhancement of Raman scattering with Cy5-labeled complementary DNA (as compared to flat Au surfaces), demonstrating the potential of using the quasi-3D Au nanohole arrays for bio-sensing applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomaterials Science, Life and Industry Convergence Institute, Pusan National University, Miryang 627-706, Korea.
authors.forename: Seunghyun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Andry
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ongko
authors.forename: Ho Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang-Gu
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Yim
authors.forename: Geumhye
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Hee Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Seungwoo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Minseok
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kwak
authors.forename: Seung Yun
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yang