Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and molecular asphaltenes

- SIOM substrates enable rapid acquisition of SERS spectra of complex mixtures.
- SERS is critical to obtain Raman spectra from asphaltenes because of fluorescence.
- We present the first known SERS spectra of individual asphaltene molecules.
- DFT calculations attempt to match spectra with corresponding PAH structures.
- The combination of theory and experiment advances asphaltene characterization.