IP Library Granted Patent US 7,738,096
Granted Patent B2
US 7,738,096 · App. 11/376,661 · Granted Jun 15, 2010

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) systems, substrates, fabrication thereof, and methods of use thereof

Assignee: University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,738,096
App. No.
11/376,661
Granted
Jun 15, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) systems including nanostructures and capable of detecting analytes, in particular biomolecules, of interest are provided. Methods of making the SERS systems and methods for detection of a biomolecule of interest, such as a virus or other infectious agent are also provided.

Claims (74)

1. A surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) system, comprising:

an array of nanorods on a surface of a substrate, wherein a tilt angle β between an individual nanorod and the substrate surface is less than 90°;

one or more first biomolecules disposed on one or more of the nanorods, wherein the array of nanorods in combination with the first biomolecule has a first measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature, wherein the first biomolecule has an affinity for a second biomolecule, wherein the array of nanorods in combination with the first biomolecule and the second biomolecule has a second measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature that is different than the first measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature.

2. The SERS system of claim 1 , wherein the nanorods are selected from one of the following materials: a metal, a metal oxide, a metal nitride, a metal oxynitride, a polymer, a multicomponent material, and combinations thereof.

3. The SERS system of claim 2 , wherein the material is selected from one of the following: silver, nickel, aluminum, silicon, gold, platinum, palladium, titanium, cobalt, copper, zinc, oxides of each, nitrides of each, oxynitrides of each, and combinations thereof.

4. The SERS system of claim 1 , wherein the SERS system further comprises one or more substantially uniform layers of material disposed between the substrate surface and the nanorods and wherein the material is selected from: a metal, a metal oxide, a metal nitride, a metal oxynitride, a polymer, a multicomponent material, and combinations thereof.

5. The SERS system of claim 1 , wherein the first biomolecule is selected from: a polynucleotide, a protein, a polypeptide, a glycoprotein, a lipid, a carbohydrate, a fatty acid, a fatty ester, a macromolecular polypeptide complex, and combinations thereof.

6. The SERS system of claim 1 , wherein the second biomolecule is selected from: a polypeptide, protein, glycoprotein, nucleic acid, eukaryotic cell, prokaryotic cell, virus, bacterium, protozoa, apicomplexan, trematodes, nematodes, fungus, spore, carbohydrate, lipid, vitamin, and combinations thereof.

7. The SERS system of claim 1 , wherein the first biomolecule is an antibody of the second biomolecule.

8. The SERS system of claim 1 , wherein the second biomolecule is a virus and the first biomolecule is an antibody to the virus.

9. The SERS system of claim 1 , wherein the second biomolecule is a virus selected from: human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Parainfluenza virus (Ply), adenovirus (Ad), rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza virus.

10. The SERS system of claim 1 , wherein the array of nanorods includes nanorods having a height of about 100 to 10000 nanometers, and a diameter of about 50 to 120 nanometers.

11. The SERS system of claim 10 , wherein the array of nanorods includes nanorods of a plurality of heights.

12. The SERS system of claim 10 , wherein the array of nanorods includes nanorods of substantially the same height.

13. The SERS system of claim 10 , wherein the array of nanorods includes nanorods of a plurality of diameters.

14. The SERS system of claim 10 , wherein the array of nanorods includes nanorods of substantially the same diameter.

15. The SERS system of claim 1 , wherein the angle β is between about 0° and about 50°.

16. The SERS system of claim 1 , wherein a distance between individual nanorods in the array is between about 10 nm and about 200 nm.

17. The SERS system of claim 1 , further comprising an excitation source and a SERS data collection and analysis system.

18. The SERS system of claim 1 , wherein the excitation source is a laser illumination source.

19. A method of making a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) sensor comprising:

providing a substrate;

rotating the substrate in a polar direction relative to a vapor arrival line of a vapor flux of a material to achieve a desired incident angle between the vapor arrival line and the substrate;

optionally rotating the substrate azimuthally;

exposing at least a portion of a surface of the substrate to the vapor flux of a material at the desired incident angle;

forming an array of nanostructures on the surface of the substrate; and

disposing one or more first biomolecules on the surface of one or more of the nanostructures, wherein the array of structures in combination with the first biomolecule has a first measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature, wherein the first biomolecule has an affinity for a second biomolecule, wherein the array of nanostructures in combination with the first biomolecule and the second biomolecule has a second measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature that is different than the first measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the substrate is planar, wherein an incident angle φ is defined by the vapor arrival line and the surface normal of the planar substrate, and wherein φ is greater than about 75°.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein φ is between about 75° and about 89°.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein φ is about 86°.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the substrate is non-planar, wherein an incident angle θ is defined by the vapor arrival line and the center axis of rotation of the non-planar substrate, and wherein θ is from about 0° to about 15°.

24. The method of claim 19 , wherein the nanostructures are nanorods.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the nanorods have a tilt angle β between an individual nanorod and the substrate surface, and wherein β is less than 90°.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the angle β is between about 0° and about 50°.

27. The method of claim 19 , wherein the vapor flux of material includes a material selected from: a metal, a metal oxide, a metal nitride, a metal oxynitride, a polymer, a multicomponent material, and combinations thereof.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the material is selected from one of the following: silver, nickel, aluminum, silicon, gold, platinum, palladium, titanium, cobalt, copper, zinc, oxides of each, nitrides of each, oxynitrides of each, and combinations thereof.

29. The method of claim 19 , further comprising disposing one or more substantially uniform layers of a material on a portion of the substrate surface and forming the array of nanostructures on the uniform layer.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the material is selected from: a metal, a metal oxide, a metal nitride, a metal oxynitride, a polymer, a multicomponent material, and combinations thereof.

31. The method of claim 19 , wherein the one or more first biomolecules are disposed on the one or more nanorods via a linking agent.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein the linking agent includes linking agents selected from: dithiobis(succinimidyl propionate) (DSP) and a self-assembly monolayer (DSP).

33. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first biomolecule is selected from: a polynucleotide, a protein, a polypeptide, a glycoprotein, a lipid, a carbohydrate, a fatty acid, a fatty ester, a macromolecular polypeptide complex, and combinations thereof.

34. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

exposing the substrate having nanostructures of a first type of material to a vapor flux of a second type of material and forming nanostructures of the second type of material on the substrate.

35. The method of claim 34 , further comprising forming nanostructures of the second type of material on the nanostructures of the first type of material.

36. The method of claim 19 , further comprising varying one or more of the incident angle, a speed of azimuthal rotation, a direction of azimuthal rotation, and a rate of vapor deposition to control one or more of the size, shape, and distribution of the nanostructures on the substrate.

37. The SERS system of claim 1 , wherein the nanorods have a shape selected from: a needle shape, a zig-zag shape, and a spiral shape.

38. The SERS system of claim 1 , wherein the array of nanorods includes nanorods of a plurality of sizes, shapes and distribution.

39. A surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) system, comprising:

an array of nanorods on a surface of a substrate, wherein an angle β between an individual nanorod and the substrate surface is less than 90°,

wherein the SERS system can distinguish between one or more analytes of interest,

wherein the array of nanorods in combination with a first analyte of interest has a first measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature and

wherein the array of nanorods in combination with a second analyte of interest has a second measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature that is different than the first measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature.

40. A surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) system, comprising:

an array of nanorods on a surface of a substrate, wherein a tilt angle β between an individual nanorod and the substrate surface is less than 90°;

one or more substantially uniform layers of material disposed between the substrate surface and the nanorods, wherein the material is selected from: a metal, a metal oxide, a metal nitride, a metal oxynitride, a polymer, a multicomponent material, and combinations thereof; and

one or more first biomolecules disposed on one or more of the nanorods, wherein the array of nanorods in combination with the first biomolecule has a first measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature, wherein the first biomolecule has an affinity for a second biomolecule, wherein the array of nanorods in combination with the first biomolecule and the second biomolecule has a second measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature that is different than the first measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature.

41. A surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) system, comprising:

an array of nanorods on a surface of a substrate, wherein a tilt angle β between an individual nanorod and the substrate surface is less than 90° and wherein the array of nanorods includes nanorods having a height of about 100 to 10000 nanometers, and a diameter of about 50 to 120 nanometers; and

one or more first biomolecules disposed on one or more of the nanorods, wherein the array of nanorods in combination with the first biomolecule has a first measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature, wherein the first biomolecule has an affinity for a second biomolecule, wherein the array of nanorods in combination with the first biomolecule and the second biomolecule has a second measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature that is different than the first measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature.

42. The SERS system of claim 41 , wherein the array of nanorods includes nanorods of a plurality of heights.

43. The SERS system of claim 41 , wherein the array of nanorods includes nanorods of substantially the same height.

44. The SERS system of claim 41 , wherein the array of nanorods includes nanorods of a plurality of diameters.

45. The SERS system of claim 41 , wherein the array of nanorods includes nanorods of substantially the same diameter.

46. A surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) system, comprising:

an array of nanorods on a surface of a substrate, wherein a tilt angle β between an individual nanorod and the substrate surface is between about 0° and about 50°; and

one or more first biomolecules disposed on one or more of the nanorods, wherein the array of nanorods in combination with the first biomolecule has a first measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature, wherein the first biomolecule has an affinity for a second biomolecule, wherein the array of nanorods in combination with the first biomolecule and the second biomolecule has a second measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature that is different than the first measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature.

47. A surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) system, comprising:

an array of nanorods on a surface of a substrate, wherein a tilt angle β between an individual nanorod and the substrate surface is less than 90° and wherein a distance between individual nanorods in the array is between about 10 nm and about 200 nm; and

one or more first biomolecules disposed on one or more of the nanorods, wherein the array of nanorods in combination with the first biomolecule has a first measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature, wherein the first biomolecule has an affinity for a second biomolecule, wherein the array of nanorods in combination with the first biomolecule and the second biomolecule has a second measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature that is different than the first measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature.

48. A surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) system, comprising:

an array of nanorods on a surface of a substrate, wherein a tilt angle β between an individual nanorod and the substrate surface is less than 90°;

one or more first biomolecules disposed on one or more of the nanorods, wherein the array of nanorods in combination with the first biomolecule has a first measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature, wherein the first biomolecule has an affinity for a second biomolecule, wherein the array of nanorods in combination with the first biomolecule and the second biomolecule has a second measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature that is different than the first measurable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic signature; and

an excitation source and a SERS data collection and analysis system.

49. The SERS system of claim 48 , wherein the excitation source is a laser illumination source.

Assignments (2)
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Dec 30, 2009
From: UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.
To: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Reel/Frame 023719/0719 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 1, 2006
From: ZHAO, YIPING; DLUHY, RICHARD A.; TRIPP, RALPH A.; CHANEY, STEPHEN; SHANMUKH, SARATCHANDRA
To: UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.
Reel/Frame 017705/0574 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation In Part 1125639500 · Oct 21, 2005
Provisional Application 6062081000 · Oct 21, 2004
Provisional Application 6066208900 · Mar 15, 2005
Provisional Application 6070311000 · Jul 28, 2005
Related Publication 20060252065A1 · Nov 9, 2006