G. M. Arzumanyan, A. V. Bondarenko (BSUIR, Minsk, Belarus)
K. Z. Mamatkulov, E. Arynbek, D. S. Zakrytnaya, E. M. Demina, A. A. Shutikov, I. M. Pugachevskaya

The development of biosensing techniques for the reliable detection of various bioorganic molecules at ultralow concentrations is an urgent task for researchers. The discovery of Giant Raman Scattering (GRS) has paved the way for the detection of vital organic molecules from solutions in concentrations concerning single molecules, i.e. below 10^-15 M. Giant Raman Spectroscopy (GRS-spectroscopy) is a powerful analytical instrument that allows to obtain specific information about the structure of molecules due to the registration of the Raman light scattering signal from them, amplified by plasmonic nanostructures - GRS-active substrates. The GRS effect is mainly provided using an anomalously strong electromagnetic field that results from collective oscillations of conduction band electrons or plasmons excited on the surface of noble metal nanoparticles under laser radiation. It provides express analysis of various substances that allows to detect, identify and study the structure of target chemical compounds in ultra-low concentrations up to single molecules to solve problems in many areas of human life, such as medicine, biology, forensics, ecology and pharmaceuticals, others. Of particular interest is the detection and investigation of bioorganic macromolecules using GRS spectroscopy, in particular, proteins with antiseptic properties, since they are promising for the development of nanomaterials for the prevention and treatment of bacterial and viral diseases.

The successful combination of the highly sensitive CARS Raman microspectrometer at FLNP with GRS-active substrates (Fig. 1) developed at BSUIR (Minsk, Belarus) have allowed to register the GRS spectra of bioorganic molecules adsorbed on silver-plated porous silicon (por-Si) from solutions with concentrations of 10^-6–10^-18 M (Fig. 2).

Fig. 1. SEM images of GRS-active substrates based on (a, b) silver particles and (c, d) silver dendrites on porous silicon

Fig. 2. GRS spectra of lactoferrin molecules on silver particles and DTNB on silver dendrites

Publications:

1. Zavatski, S., Khinevich, N., Girel, K., Redko, S., Kovalchuk, N., Komissarov, I., Lukashevich, V., Semak, I., Mamatkulov, K., Vorobyeva, M., Arzumanyan, G., Bandarenka, H. Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of Lactoferrin Adsorbed on Silvered Porous Silicon Covered with Graphene. Biosensors2019, 9, 34. https://doi.org/10.3390/bios9010034.
2. Bandarenka, H. V., Khinevich, N. V., Burko, A. A., Redko, S. V., Zavatski, S. A., Shapel, U. A., Mamatkulov, K. Z., Vorobyeva, M. Yu. Arzumanyan, G. M. 3D Silver Dendrites for Single‐molecule Imaging by Surface‐enhanced Raman Spectroscopy. ChemNanoMat 2020, 7, 2, 141–149, https://doi.org/10.1002/cnma.202000521.