Design and Optimization of a Gold and Silver Nanoparticle-Based SERS Biosensing Platform.

Abstract

This study investigates the design and optimization of a nanoparticle-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) biosensing platform using COMSOL Multiphysics simulations. The primary goal is to enhance the sensitivity and specificity of SERS biosensors, which are crucial for the precise detection and quantification of biomolecules. The simulation study explores the use of gold and silver nanoparticles in various arrangements, including single, multiple, and periodic nanospheres. The effects of polarization and the phenomenon of local hotspot switching in trimer and tetramer nanosphere systems are analyzed. To validate the simulation results, a SERS biosensing platform is fabricated by self-assembling gold nanoparticles on a silicon substrate, with methylene blue used as the Raman probe molecule. The findings demonstrate the feasibility of optimizing SERS biochips through simulation, which can be extended to various nanostructures. This work contributes to the advancement of highly sensitive and specific SERS biosensors for diagnostic and analytical applications.