Patent ID: 9588048
Date: 2017-03-07
CPC Classifications: B82Y,G01J,G01N

Claim:
1. A surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sensor comprising: a sensing substrate comprising at least two spaced apart nanorods attached at first ends to the sensing substrate, the nanorods comprising a Raman active surface; and a Raman reporter solution exposed to the sensing substrate, the Raman reporter solution including a solvent and a nanoparticle having a functionalized surface comprising a Raman signal generator, the nanoparticle being independent of the nanorods, wherein second ends of the nanorods are movable into close proximity of one another in response to microcapillary forces due to evaporation of the solvent, wherein an interaction between the nanorod second ends in close proximity of one another and the nanoparticle is detectable, and wherein the nanorods and the functionalized surface of the nanoparticle each further comprises a linking moiety and a blocking agent to block non-specific binding to the nanoparticle and the nanorods, wherein the linking moiety of the nanoparticle is bound to the linking moiety of the at least one of the nanorods, and wherein the SERS sensor further comprises, an analyte to attack a linkage between the linking moieties or one of the linking moieties to selectively dissociate the nanoparticle from the nanorods, the dissociation being betectable as a decrease in a Raman signal generated by the interaction.