Fabrication of Surface-bound Nanoparticles for Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy
The solution-based approach for fabrication of SERS substrates.
Highlights
- The solution-based approach for fabrication of SERS substrates.
Opportunity
The University of Alberta inventors have developed a flow-controlled, solution-based approach to synthesize highly ordered and stable ring arrays of Ag nanostructures with sheet-like and dendritic structured morphology. These nanostructures demonstrated good reproducibility of SERS measurements with a minimum relative standard deviation of ∼ 3.2%. The inventor was able to increase the number of SERS substrates from 4 to 100 in a single run, making the approach scalable. The invention has a wide range of applications for analytical techniques related to environmental pollutants, cytotoxicity of biological components, consumables, and advanced materials.
Competitive advantage
- Low cost compared to commercial products
- Quantitative detection down to 10⁻⁷ – 10⁻⁹ M.
- Good reproducibility
Status
- Patent Pending
About University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a large, comprehensive public research university in Edmonton with multiple campuses and a strong applied research culture. Industry engages through co-located labs and pilot-scale facilities, as well as established co-op and internship programs that place talent with partners year-round. Integration with Alberta’s province-wide hospital system supports clinical research and accelerates translation. Companies also benefit from proximity to regional industry clusters and collaboration hubs on and near campus for joint R&D and prototyping. Supported by NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC, and Canada Foundation for Innovation funding—plus provincial and industry support—the tech transfer office manages IP, licensing, and startup formation with streamlined sponsored-research agreements.
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