Patent ID: 7776610

Claim:
A method for detecting at least one of a chemical and a species related to the chemical, the method comprising the steps of: providing a metal surface having at least one of a size and a shape that increases surface enhanced Raman scattering; providing a fluid suspected of containing the at least one of the chemical and the related species; if present in the fluid, releasing the at least one of the chemical and the related species from the fluid into a gas phase; exposing the metal surface to the at least one of the chemical and the related species in the gas phase, the at least one of the chemical and the related species in the gas phase adsorbing to the metal surface; exciting the metal surface with light to cause the metal surface to produce the surface enhanced Raman scattering; and analyzing data obtained from the surface enhanced Raman scattering to determine the existence of the at least one of the chemical and the related species in the fluid.