Surface-Enhanced Resonance Raman Scattering: Single-Molecule Detection in a Langmuir–Blodgett Monolayer (original) (raw)

The adsorption of dye molecules on silver hydrosol particles causes an intensity enhancement of their resonance Raman scattering (RRS) spectra by several orders of magnitude [1]. This is accompanied by luminescence quenching which makes it possible to detect RRS spectra of strongly luminescent substances. The quenching effect is caused probably by exceedingly strong radiationless deactivation in the dye molecule adsorbed on a metal particle as compared to the effect of local enhancement of the electromagnetic field near the surface of small metal particles, which, in principle should cause an increase in both luminescence and Raman scattering (RS).