Spot-on SERS Detection of Biomolecules with Laser-Patterned Dot Arrays of Assembled Silver Nanowires

Unique characteristics of SERS including the possibility to reveal the compositional and structural content of trace amounts of biological samples without any pre-treatment, depict this technique as a promising label-free alternative to standard analytical methods. Despite significant advancements, current SERS substrates for biomolecule detection suffer from a number of issues still impeding their routine usage and commercial exploitation, including complex and expensive fabrication procedures and scarce standardization perspectives. Herein a combined bottom up/top down scheme based on flow-through method plus laser patterning is proposed to prepare dot arrays of silver nanowires on a hydrophobic substrate for catching the analyte content from a minute amount of liquid sample and its rapid SERS inspection. As a consequence, a simple spot-on analysis specifically adapted for reliable identification and characterization of molecules of biomedical interest is made possible. Our attempt may represent a concrete chance for progressing SERS toward widespread commercially viable sensing applications including diagnostics at the point-of-need settings and on-site analyses.