Microchannel plate (MCP) functionalized with Ag nanorods as a high-porosity stable SERS-active membrane
Citation
Zhang, Mengying, Zhen Cao, and Levent Yobas. "Microchannel Plate (MCP) Functionalized with Ag Nanorods as a High-Porosity Stable SERS-Active Membrane." Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 184 (2013): 235–42.
Keywords
- Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)
- Microchannel plate (MCP)
- Ag nanorods
- Hot spots
- Enhancement factor (EF)
- 4-mercatobenzoic acid (4-MBA)
- Rhodamine-6G (R6G)
Brief
This article presents a new type of SERS-active substrate based on a readily available, highly porous glass membrane (a microchannel plate) decorated with silver nanorods.
Summary
This 2013 article in Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical by Mengying Zhang, Zhen Cao, and Levent Yobas introduces a novel SERS-active substrate based on a microchannel plate (MCP) decorated with silver (Ag) nanorods. The researchers used a method called localized oblique-angle deposition (LOAD) to grow the Ag nanorods on the sidewalls of the MCP's microchannels. This method is simple and does not require sophisticated cleanroom processes.
The MCP's highly porous structure and the precisely aligned microchannels make it an ideal template for LOAD, allowing for the formation of well-defined Ag nanorods. The researchers tested the SERS activity of the substrate using 4-mercatobenzoic acid (4-MBA) and rhodamine-6G (R6G) as probing molecules. They found that the substrate exhibited a strong SERS effect, with enhancement factors (EF) ranging from 106 to 108, which is comparable to or better than other SERS-active substrates that require more complex fabrication processes.
The researchers conclude that this new type of SERS-active substrate has the potential for use in microfluidics for applications like automated sample delivery and in-line analysis of trace elements.