Cicada Wing Inspired Template-Stripped SERS Active 3D Metallic Nanostructures for the Detection of Toxic Substances
This article introduces a bioinspired, cicada wing-like surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate based on template-stripped crossed surface relief grating (TS-CSRG). The substrate is polarization-independent, has tunable nanofeatures and can be fabricated in a cleanroom-free environment vi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/5/1699 |
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| author | Srijit Nair Juan Gomez-Cruz Gabriel Ascanio Aristides Docoslis Ribal Georges Sabat Carlos Escobedo |
| author_facet | Srijit Nair Juan Gomez-Cruz Gabriel Ascanio Aristides Docoslis Ribal Georges Sabat Carlos Escobedo |
| author_sort | Srijit Nair |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article introduces a bioinspired, cicada wing-like surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate based on template-stripped crossed surface relief grating (TS-CSRG). The substrate is polarization-independent, has tunable nanofeatures and can be fabricated in a cleanroom-free environment via holographic exposure followed by template-stripping using a UV-curable resin. The bioinspired nanostructures in the substrate are strategically designed to minimize the reflection of light for wavelengths shorter than their periodicity, promoting enhanced plasmonic regions for the Raman excitation wavelength at 632.8 nm over a large area. The grating pitch that enables an effective SERS signal is studied using Rhodamine 6G, with enhancement factors of the order of 1 × 10<sup>4</sup>. Water contact angle measurements reveal that the TS-CSRGs are equally hydrophobic to cicada wings, providing them with potential self-cleaning and bactericidal properties. Finite-difference time-domain simulations are used to validate the nanofabrication parameters and to further confirm the polarization-independent electromagnetic field enhancement of the nanostructures. As a real-world application, label-free detection of melamine up to 1 ppm, the maximum concentration of the contaminant in food permitted by the World Health Organization, is demonstrated. The new bioinspired functional TS-CSRG SERS substrate holds great potential as a large-area, label-free SERS-active substrate for medical and biochemical sensing applications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:01:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cd867fe2a0ac4393a30a73e888351df5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:01:41Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-cd867fe2a0ac4393a30a73e888351df52023-12-03T12:08:19ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202021-03-01215169910.3390/s21051699Cicada Wing Inspired Template-Stripped SERS Active 3D Metallic Nanostructures for the Detection of Toxic SubstancesSrijit Nair0Juan Gomez-Cruz1Gabriel Ascanio2Aristides Docoslis3Ribal Georges Sabat4Carlos Escobedo5Department of Chemical Engineering, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, CanadaDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, CanadaInstituto de Ciencias Aplicadas y Desarrollo Tecnológico (ICAT), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cto. Exterior S/N, C.U., Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, MexicoDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, CanadaDepartment of Physics and Space Science, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON K7K 7B4, CanadaDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, CanadaThis article introduces a bioinspired, cicada wing-like surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate based on template-stripped crossed surface relief grating (TS-CSRG). The substrate is polarization-independent, has tunable nanofeatures and can be fabricated in a cleanroom-free environment via holographic exposure followed by template-stripping using a UV-curable resin. The bioinspired nanostructures in the substrate are strategically designed to minimize the reflection of light for wavelengths shorter than their periodicity, promoting enhanced plasmonic regions for the Raman excitation wavelength at 632.8 nm over a large area. The grating pitch that enables an effective SERS signal is studied using Rhodamine 6G, with enhancement factors of the order of 1 × 10<sup>4</sup>. Water contact angle measurements reveal that the TS-CSRGs are equally hydrophobic to cicada wings, providing them with potential self-cleaning and bactericidal properties. Finite-difference time-domain simulations are used to validate the nanofabrication parameters and to further confirm the polarization-independent electromagnetic field enhancement of the nanostructures. As a real-world application, label-free detection of melamine up to 1 ppm, the maximum concentration of the contaminant in food permitted by the World Health Organization, is demonstrated. The new bioinspired functional TS-CSRG SERS substrate holds great potential as a large-area, label-free SERS-active substrate for medical and biochemical sensing applications.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/5/1699bioinspired nanostructuresurface-enhanced Raman spectroscopysurface relief gratingsmelamine detectioncicada wing nanostructure |
| spellingShingle | Srijit Nair Juan Gomez-Cruz Gabriel Ascanio Aristides Docoslis Ribal Georges Sabat Carlos Escobedo Cicada Wing Inspired Template-Stripped SERS Active 3D Metallic Nanostructures for the Detection of Toxic Substances Sensors bioinspired nanostructure surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy surface relief gratings melamine detection cicada wing nanostructure |
| title | Cicada Wing Inspired Template-Stripped SERS Active 3D Metallic Nanostructures for the Detection of Toxic Substances |
| title_full | Cicada Wing Inspired Template-Stripped SERS Active 3D Metallic Nanostructures for the Detection of Toxic Substances |
| title_fullStr | Cicada Wing Inspired Template-Stripped SERS Active 3D Metallic Nanostructures for the Detection of Toxic Substances |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cicada Wing Inspired Template-Stripped SERS Active 3D Metallic Nanostructures for the Detection of Toxic Substances |
| title_short | Cicada Wing Inspired Template-Stripped SERS Active 3D Metallic Nanostructures for the Detection of Toxic Substances |
| title_sort | cicada wing inspired template stripped sers active 3d metallic nanostructures for the detection of toxic substances |
| topic | bioinspired nanostructure surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy surface relief gratings melamine detection cicada wing nanostructure |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/5/1699 |
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