Development of biocompatible plasmonic thin films composed of noble metal nanoparticles embedded in a dielectric matrix to enhance Raman signals

Abstract This work focused on the production of nanocomposite thin films, composed of noble nanoparticles embedded in a dielectric matrix, to be tested as biocompatible plasmonic platforms for detection of molecules using Surface Enhance Raman Spectroscopy (SERS). Three different thin films systems were deposited by reactive DC magnetron sputtering, namely Au-Al2O3, Au-TiO2 and Ag-TiO2. The depositions were followed by a thermal treatment at different temperatures to promote the growth of the nanoparticles. Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) bands appeared already at 300 °C, related to the presence of Au nanoparticles, and at 500 °C in the case of Ag nanoparticles. Furthermore, at 700 °C, the Ag-TiO2 films showed a broadband optical response due to the formation of Ag clusters at the film's surface. The biological experiments showed that the presence of the thin films didn't affect the growth of C. albicans, which is very convenient if one needs to detect low concentrations of this microorganism using SERS platforms. As for the SERS measurements, an enhancement of R6G Raman spectra intensity was clearly perceivable, but only for the TiO2 matrix. Furthermore, the application of a plasma treatment allowed to better expose the nanoparticles, providing a further enhancement of Raman signals.