Ultrasensitive vapor detection with surface-enhanced Raman scattering-active gold nanoparticle immobilized flow-through multihole capillaries

We developed novel flow-through surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) platforms using gold nanoparticle (Au-NP) immobilized multihole capillaries for rapid and sensitive vapor detection. The multihole capillaries consisting of thousands of micrometer-sized flow-through channels provide many unique characteristics for vapor detection. Most importantly, its three-dimensional SERS-active micro-/nanostructures make available multilayered assembly of Au-NPs, which greatly increase SERS-active surface area within a focal volume of excitation and collection, thus improving the detection sensitivity. In addition, the multihole capillary's inherent longitudinal channels offer rapid and convenient vapor delivery, yet its micrometer-sized holes increase the interaction between vapor molecules and SERS-active substrate. Experimentally, rapid pyridine vapor detection (within 1 s of exposure) and ultrasensitive 4-nitrophenol vapor detection (at a sub-ppb level) were successfully achieved in open air at room temperature. Such an ultrasensitive SERS platform enabled, for the first time, the investigation of both pyridine and 4-nitrophenol vapor adsorption isotherms at very low concentrations. Type I and type V behaviors of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry isotherm were well observed, respectively.