Three-dimensional titania nano-fibrous architecture for molecular detection by Raman spectroscopy

摘要

Disclosed herein is an optical molecular sensor, as well as methods and uses for such sensors in optical and medical devices. The sensor is based on traditionally inactive, limited or a combination thereof, materials that are regarded as such within surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The disclosed invention essentially includes the said material or materials as the substrate, micro-pattern features developed from the substrate, and a three-dimensional (3D) architecture of nanoparticle fibers that generally surround and envelop the micro-pattern features. The nanoparticle fibers are specifically designed to have a desirable 3D network depth and porosity, as well as nanoparticle average diameter, standard deviation, and nanoparticle separation (i.e. nanogap), as well as nanoparticle crystal phase composition, stoichiometry, and crystallinity.

主权项

1. A method of producing a titanium based Surface Enhance Raman Scattering (SERS) sensor, comprising:
providing a titanium substrate having a surface and producing an array of sensor locations in a predefined portion of the surface by irradiating the predefined portion of the surface in the presence of air with laser pulses having an intensity, a wavelength, a pulse duration, an effective irradiation time and a pulse repetition rate selected to produce, at each sensor location, a micro-pattern feature in the surface of the substrate and a self-supported web structure that generally surround and envelop the micro-pattern feature, said self-supported web structured being made of nanofibers each comprised of a plurality of titanium based nanoparticles aligned into said self-supported web structure, wherein said array of sensor locations exhibit SERS activity.