Recent progress on plasmonic hybrid SERS-active substrates for molecular detection

Abstract

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has emerged as a transformative technique in molecular detection, offering unparalleled sensitivity and specificity through the amplification of Raman signals. This review focuses on the recent advances in plasmonic hybrid SERS-active substrates, which combine plasmonic metals with advanced materials such as carbon nanostructures, transition metal dichalcogenides, and metal-organic frameworks). These hybrid substrates harness synergistic effects from their components to overcome limitations related to signal reproducibility, analyte selectivity, and substrate stability. Key developments include the design and fabrication of core-shell nanoparticles, anisotropic plasmonic nanostructures, and multifunctional hybrid materials that enhance the SERS performance through various mechanisms. The innovative applications of hybrid SERS platforms in environmental monitoring, biological sensing, and molecular diagnostics are highlighted, demonstrating their potential for real-time, high-sensitivity analysis. Perspectives on the challenges and future directions for SERS substrate development are presented, with an emphasis on advancing reproducibility and expanding the scope of molecular detection technologies.