Surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates of high-density and high-homogeneity hot spots by magneto-metal nanoprobe assembling.

Binary naoparticles composed of a superparamagnetic Fe(3)O(4) core and an Au nanoshell were prepared via a high-temperature hydrolysis reaction followed by seed-mediated growth. The nanoprobes render simultaneous dual functions of both fast magnetic response and local surface plasmon resonance. Using these nanoprobes, analyte molecules can be easily biologically captured, magnetically concentrated, and analyzed by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Particularly, the complex particles were assembled under magnetic force direction into a SERS substrate. It was found to possess both a high enhancement factor (10(6)) and high homogeneity of "hot spot" distribution (fluctuation less than 20% for a 1 μm(2) area) with 4-aminothiophenol as the analyte.