Investigation of Raman techniques for biomedical applications

Abstract

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy was first reported in the 1970s and has since been widely studied. It is a highly sensitive screening technique activated for used in the biological and pharmaceutical sectors due to tis low detection limits which greatly enhanced the accuracy of the measurements. As it is still a relatively new subject of study, there is huge potential for the optimization of the SERS technique by improving its enhancement factor. Various parameters can be attributed to the degree of enhancement, which will be evaluated in this report. The purpose of this project is to better understand the effects these parameters have on the SERS enhancement factor, via simulation studies, and experimental studies. Additionally, other methods such as a paper spectrometer are explored in this report, in order to stretch the potential of SERS.