The book explores the phenomenon of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), the huge amplification of Raman signal from molecules in the proximity of a metallic nanostructured surface, allowing readers to gain an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms affecting the spectroscopic response of SERS-active systems for effective applications. SERS spectroscopy is an ultrasensitive analytical technique with great potential for applications in the field of biophysics and nanomedicine. As examples, the author presents the design of nanocolloid-based SERS-active substrates for molecular sensing and of a folate-based SERS-active nanosensor capable of selectively interacting with cancer cells, enabling cancer diagnostics and therapy at the single-cell level. The author also suggests novel paths for the systematization of the SERS nanosystem design and experimental protocols to maximize sensitivity and reproducibility, which is essential when real-world biomedical applications are the goal of the study. With a combined approach, both fundamental and applied, and a detailed analysis of the state of the art, this book provides a valuable overview both for students new to SERS spectroscopy and for experts in the field.

Covering everything from the basic theoretical and practical knowledge to new exciting developments in the field with a focus on analytical and life science applications, this monograph shows how to apply surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for solving real world problems. From the contents: * Theory and practice of SERS * Analytical applications * SERS combined with other analytical techniques * Biophysical applications * Life science applications including various microscopies Aimed at analytical, surface and medicinal chemists, spectroscopists, biophysicists and materials scientists. Includes a Foreword by the renowned Raman spectroscopist Professor Wolfgang Kiefer, the former Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Raman Spectroscopy.

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) might be one of the most impressive effects to demonstrate the power of plasmonic approaches in spectroscopy and became one of the 'triggers' for the rapidly emerging field of plasmonics.This book provides a review of some recent developments in SERS, such as tip enhanced Raman scattering (TERS), reports new experimental observations, sophisticated new SERS-active structures and substrates, new theoretical insight to explain the effect as well as exciting applications in various fields such as analytical science, biomedicine and nanotechnology.Written for graduate students and established researchers looking for inspiration for future work, its interdisciplinary nature makes the book suitable for readers in the fields of chemistry, physics, biology, medicine, nanotechnology and materials science.

This book gives an overview of recent developments in RS and SERS for sensing and biosensing considering also limitations, possibilities and prospects of this technique. Raman scattering (RS) is a widely used vibrational technique providing highly specific molecular spectral patterns. A severe limitation for the application of this spectroscopic technique lies in the low cross section of RS. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy overcomes this problem by 6-11 orders of magnitude enhancement compared with the standard RS for molecules in the close vicinity of certain rough metal surfaces. Thus, SERS combines molecular fingerprint specificity with potential single-molecule sensitivity. Due to the recent development of new SERS-active substrates, labeling and derivatization chemistry as well as new instrumentations, SERS became a very promising tool for many varied applications, including bioanalytical studies and sensing. Both intrinsic and extrinsic SERS biosensing schemes have been employed to detect and identify small molecules, nucleic acids and proteins, and also for cellular and in vivo sensing.

The fourth volume titled 'Sensors and Applications in Measuring and Automation Control Systems' contains twenty four chapters with sensor related state-of-the-art reviews and descriptions of latest advances in sensor related area written by 81 authors from academia and industry from 5 continents and 20 countries: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Finland, France, Japan, India, Iraq, Italia, México, Morocco, Portugal, Senegal, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, UK, Ukraine and USA. Coverage includes current developments in physical sensors and transducers, chemical sensors, biosensors, sensing materials, signal conditioning, energy harvesters and sensor networks.

his book has been prepared with the aim to present the application of these two state-of-the art technologies in agricultural sciences and food technology, and to explain the protocols for analyses of different plant, animal, microbiological and food samples as well as for different biotechnology procedures. Selected methods and protocols which are used in plant stress physiology, weed science, fruit breeding research, microbial ecology, plant virus and fungus diagnostics, phytobacteriology, fishery, food biochemistry, food materials and food technology are described. Special adaptation of certain protocols is required for application in each of these sciences, for every type of GMO organism, food technology raw material, and food technology product, as well as for every type of bacteria, virus, fungus or fungus-like organism, for each type of raw material in terms of plant host species, plant organs, year period and conditions in the laboratory. Application of molecular methods, primarily qPCR, and Raman microscopy/ spectroscopy in agricultural and food sciences provides substantial opportunity for increased production efficiency, food safety, better product quality and improvement of plant and animal health. This book is aimed for students, scientists and professionals working in the field of agriculture and food technology.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a research technique that was discovered in the mid-1970s. SERS is a powerful and fast tool for analysis, which has a high detection sensitivity for a great number of chemical and biological molecules. However, it is in this last decade that a very significant explosion of the fabrication of highly sensitive SERS substrates has occurred using novel designs of plasmonic nanostructures and novel fabrication techniques of the latter, as well as new plasmonic materials and hybrid nanomaterials. Thus, this Special Issue is dedicated to reporting on the latest advances in novel plasmonic nanomaterials that are applied to the SERS domain. These developments are illustrated through several articles and reviews written by researchers in this field from around the world.

This book highlights analytical chemistry instrumentation and practices applied to the analysis of natural products and their complex mixtures, describing techniques for isolating and characterizing natural products. • Applies analytical techniques to natural products research – an area of critical importance to drug discovery • Offers a one-stop shop for most analytical methods: x-ray diffraction, NMR analysis, mass spectrometry, and chemical genetics • Includes coverage of natural products basics and highlights antibacterial research, particularly important as efforts to combat drug resistance gain prominence • Covers instrumental techniques with enough detail for both current practitioners and beginning researchers

World Scientific Reference on Plasmonic Nanomaterials: Principles, Design and Bio-applications is a book collection that encompasses multiple aspects of the exciting and timely field of nanoplasmonics, under the coordination of international plasmonic nanomaterials expert, Dr Luis Liz-Marzán. Plasmonics has a long history, from stained glass in ancient cathedrals, through pioneering investigations by Michael Faraday, all the way into the nanotechnology era, where it blossomed into an extremely active field of research with potential applications in a wide variety of technologies.Given the breadth of the materials, phenomena and applications related to plasmonics, this Reference Set offers a collection of chapters within dedicated volumes, focusing on the description of selected phenomena, with an emphasis in chemistry as an enabling tool for the fabrication of, often sophisticated, plasmonic nanoarchitectures and biomedicine as the target application.Basic principles of surface plasmon resonances are described, as well as those mechanisms related to related phenomena such as surface-enhanced spectroscopies or plasmonic chirality. Under the guidance of theoretical models, wet chemistry methods have been implemented toward the synthesis of a wide variety of nanoparticles with different compositions and tailored morphology. But often the optimal nanoarchitecture requires post-synthesis treatments, including functionalization of nanoparticle surfaces, application of external stimuli toward self-assembly into well-defined supraparticle structures and so-called supercrystals. All such nanomaterials can find applications in various biomedical aspects, most often in relation to diagnosis, through either the detection of disease biomarkers at extremely low concentrations or the design of bioimaging methods for in vivo monitoring. Additionally, novel therapeutic tools can also profit from plasmonic nanomaterials, such as photothermal therapy or nanocatalysis.The reference set thus offers comprehensive information of an extremely active subset within the world of plasmonic nanomaterials and their applications, which aims at not just collecting existing knowledge but also promoting further research and technology transfer into the market and the clinic.

Molecular and Laser Spectroscopy, Advances and Applications: Volume 3 gives students and researchers an up-to-date understanding of the fast-developing area of molecular and laser spectroscopy. This book covers basic principles and advances in several conventional as well as new and upcoming areas of molecular and laser spectroscopy. This third volume is an extension of the two previous volumes of the same title and includes all-new topics. Each chapter is devoted to a particular fast-growing area of research and fills the gap between elementary texts and advanced material found in research articles. Some of the topics covered include: terahertz spectroscopy and its applications in health care· linear and non-linear vibrational optical activity spectroscopy; cascade laser IR-spectroscopy and frequency comb techniques; step-scan infrared spectroscopy (absorption and emission) for detecting reaction intermediates· surface-enhanced (SERS) and tip-enhanced (TERS) Raman scattering; infrared and Raman micro-spectroscopy; time-resolved linear and non-linear infrared spectroscopy using pico-second and femtosecond lasers. The spectroscopic techniques have been applied to medical sciences, forensics, security, material science, agriculture, food, chemical, pharmaceutical and petrochemical industries and used to study molecular vibrational dynamics, and hydrogen bonding in ground and excited states. This book serves as a valuable resource for students, teachers, and beginning researchers engaged in the area of molecular and laser spectroscopy. On account of the wide range of applications, researchers and scientific personnel in many industries will find this book useful for learning about the latest techniques and putting them to practical use. - Written by eminent research scientists having an intricate knowledge of the latest activities in the field - Includes exhaustive lists of research articles, reviews, and books at the end of each chapter to aid in further pursuit of research activity - Uses illustrative examples of the varied applications to provide a practical guide to those interested in using molecular and laser spectroscopy tools in their research - Each chapter is written in simple, clear language and develops its topic systematically, from basics to the latest developments and future projections