ADVANCING IN THE DESIGN OF PLASMONIC PARTICLES FOR SERS APPLICATIONS
Molecular detection and identification at ultra-low concentrations represent critical challenges in modern analytical chemistry, particularly in fields such as clinical diagnostics, drug development, and environmental analysis. Among the various spectroscopic techniques available, Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) offers exceptional sensitivity by exploiting the plasmonic properties of metallic nanostructures to amplify molecular signals by several orders of magnitude.This doctoral thesis investigates the systematic development and optimization of plasmonic nanoparticle architectures to maximize SERS performance. The research encompasses three complementary approaches: controlled synthesis of individual gold and silver nanoparticles, strategic assembly into complex hierarchical structures, and targeted surface modification using molecular recognition elements.The experimental work involved the preparation of monometallic and bimetallic nanoparticle systems, followed by their organization into core-satellite configurations. These assemblies were thoroughly characterized using electron microscopy, optical spectroscopy, and computational modeling techniques to understand the structure-property relationships. Subsequently, surface functionalization strategies employing cyclodextrin molecules were implemented to introduce molecular selectivity.Results demonstrate that carefully engineered core-satellite architectures achieve remarkable signal amplification (10¹⁰-10¹¹ fold enhancement) with excellent reproducibility. The metallic composition significantly influences the spectroscopic performance across different wavelength ranges, whereas supramolecular functionalization enables selective analyte recognition. These findings provide fundamental insights for designing next generation SERS platforms with enhanced sensitivity and specificity for diverse applications.
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