LOW RESOLUTION SURFACE ENHANCED RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY ON SOL-GEL SUBSTRATES

摘要

The invention is directed to a method of making and using a porous solid matrix (714) for trapping metal nanoparticles for use in detection, identification and quantification of trace levels of water contaminants using surface enhanced Raman scattering. The metal nanoparticles are polydispersed in the porous solid matrix, sufficiently separated to prevent conduction, in creating a broad area of excited electrons in response to applied radiation. In one aspect, the metal nanoparticles may be derived from gold, silver or platinum. In another aspect, the porous solid matrix is a sol-gel (714) embedded with a polydispersion of metal for use in SERS detection. The metal nanoparticle substrate (710) can be used on-site, is highly sensitive and easy to use for an immediate and accurate result.