Patent ID: 6699724
Filing Date: 2004-03-02
Classification: A61K,B01J,B22F,B82Y,C01P,C08K,C09C,C09K,G01N,G02F,Y10T

Abstract:
A chemical sensing device comprising a plurality of particles, each said particle comprising:a non-conducting core having an independently defined radius; a metal shell linked to said core by a linker molecule and having an independently defined thickness, a defined core radius:shell thickness ratio; a defined absorbance or scattering wavelength maximum in the ultraviolet to infrared range, said defined wavelength substantially matched to a wavelength of a predetermined source of electromagnetic radiation; a surface for inducing surface enhanced Raman scattering; optionally, at least one biomolecule conjugated to said surface; optionally, a reporter molecule conjugated to said shell or said biomolecule, wherein said particle is made according to a method comprising: providing said non-conducting core; binding at least one linker molecule to said core; binding metal molecules to said linker molecules to form a discontinuous metal colloid layer; and reducing additional metal molecules onto the discontinuous metal colloid layer so as to form said metal shell, wherein said shell surrounds said non-conducting core such that said wavelength maximum varies according to the thickness of said shell.