Reusable Substrate Enhances Raman Signal by Factor of 50

Materials scientists at Kiel University have developed a photoinduced enhanced Raman spectroscopy (PIERS) method to detect analytes at concentrations one to three orders of magnitude lower than that which can be achieved using classical surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The method stems from the researchers’ development of a novel substrate with plasmonic and photocatalytic nanostructures that increases sensitivity, spatial, and temporal resolution.