Surface Enhanced Infrared Characterization Using Disordered Slit-Antenna Arrays for the Detection of Electrodeposited Cytochrome C

An approach which allows both electrochemical studies and surface enhanced infrared characterization of electrodeposited Cytochrome C is presented. This approach is based on in-plane disordered arrays of resonant slits engraved in Au substrates using focused ion beam. For light-polarized perpendicular to the slit, the reflectivity spectra of the slit arrays show dips related to the excitation of the slit plasmon resonance, whose position depends on the slit length. Due to the presence of the continuous Au layer around the slits, the very same substrates can be used to perform electrochemical studies. By varying the slit length, we have tuned the plasmon resonance to match the absorption bands of electrodeposited Cytochrome C, demonstrating the detection of minute amounts of this protein, all the way down to a single monolayer.