Abstract

Raman is a vibrational spectroscopic method that has been explored for molecules and contaminants in the fields of food, environmental and clinical analysis [1]. It is non-invasive, non-destructive and does not require sophisticated sample preparation whilst at the same time it provides vibrational information specific from the analyte of interest identifiable through its spectrum fingerprint. Furthermore, the detection efficiency of Raman spectroscopy can be increased by using plasmonic nanomaterials as in the case of Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). At present, the techniques used for fabricating gold nanostructures directly on surfaces are mainly based on the use of lithography techniques that in many cases require expensive instruments and time consuming procedures.

© 2015 IEEE