Design of SERS nanoprobes for Raman imaging: materials, critical factors and architectures

Rational design of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanoprobes is important for maximizing their biomedical applications. This review gives a brief introduction on the development of SERS-active materials, explores the factors that affect SERS enhancement, and illustrates the strategies used to fabricate SERS-active nanostructures for a wide range of applications.116