Metal-silica hybrid nanostructures for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

The preparation of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-active substrates consisting of an ordered array of silver-tipped silica nanorods is reported (see figure and cover). Signal intensities obtained from test molecules are enhanced by factors of 10-20 for measurements on substrates consisting of small aggregates as compared to arrays of single particles. The reduced silver surface area of the hybrid system compared to other substrates is important to minimize the quantity of analyte necessary for detection.