Silver nanowires for highly reproducible cantilever based AFM-TERS microscopy: towards a universal TERS probe.

ABSTRACT: Tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) microscopy is a unique analytical tool to provide complementary chemical and topographic information of surfaces with nanometric resolution. However, difficulties in reliably producing the necessary metallized scanning probe tips has limited its widespread utilisation, particularly in the case of cantilever-based atomic force microscopy. Attempts to alleviate tip related issues using colloidal or bottom-up engineered tips have so far not reported consistent probes for both Raman and topographic imaging. Here we demonstrate the reproducible fabrication of cantilever-based high-performance TERS probes for both topographic and Raman measurements, based on an approach that utilises noble metal nanowires as the active TERS probe. The tips show 10 times highe

SUBMITTER: Walke P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5985653 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature