Work

Spectral Super-Resolution Colloidal SERS Spectroscopy for Multiplexed Detection of Protein Biomarkers

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) possesses molecular specificity and single-molecule sensitivity. Yet, intensity-based SERS assays are vulnerable to nontarget analyte-induced intensity fluctuations, while frequency-shift-based SERS assays are constrained by the instrument's spectral resolution, limiting the translational quantitative applications of SERS. Herein, we introduce a stochastic colloidal plasmon-enhanced spectral sampling (SCOPE) strategy for spectral super-resolution SERS spectroscopy. Through large-scale stochastic spectral sampling in a chemically homogeneous, spectrally dynamic colloidal solution containing plasmonic nanoparticles and analyte molecules, we obtain an empirical approximation of the probability density function of the sample's spectral response. This enables accurate estimation of the true peak center with subresolution precision through Gaussian histogram fitting. Building on SCOPE, we develop a spectrally super-resolved colloidal SERS immunoassay for multiplexed detection of a panel of protein biomarkers spanning endocrine, cardiovascular, and hemostatic conditions. We believe this study paves the way for spectrally super-resolved spectroscopic applications in a variety of analytical domains.

Source: Nano Letters

DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c06426

Authors: Peng Zheng, Steve Semancik, Ishan Barman

Institutions: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Johns Hopkins University, Material Measurement Laboratory

Language: English

Topic: Gold and Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis and Applications

Subfield: Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Awards: Next-generation optical nanoprobes: From quantum biosensing to cellular monitoring, G7898409487