The unique physical and tunable optical properties of noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) provides the opportunity to develop new sensing platforms with enhanced capabilities in the specific detection of a variety of small molecules. While noble metal NPs are interesting as nanomaterials, future and practical applications as high-performance novel functional materials will require the use of these NPs embedded in suitable host materials. This review details how embedded noble metal NPs and the local environment influence the sensing properties for potential application in nano-biotechnology, ultrasensitive chemical and biochemical detection by surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanotechnology. Although the synthesis and potential applications of noble metal NPs based SERS substrates have been reviewed previously, there is a growing interest in synthesis and functionalisation of embedded noble metal NPs and their applications as SERS substrates. This topic has been rarely reviewed in literature. In particular, we review the highly active solid and thin film SERS substrates such as polymer and glass substrates embedded with noble metal NPs. We also discuss their optical properties due to the localised surface plasmon resonance and enhanced local electromagnetic field which are responsible for enhanced SERS activity with emphasis on their fundamental and technological applications. This review also includes a new class of promising porous coordination polymeric SERS substrates (a metal-organic framework) embedded with noble metal NPs. The review first explains many fundamental key concepts of SPR and SERS enhancement as well as factors affecting these properties in the case of embedded NPs. This then summarises methods for the fabrication of highly reproducible and robust SERS substrates embedded with NPs followed by their SERS application in detection of several chemical and biological molecules. The article also describes the recent developments in the fabrication of these SERS substrates embedded with noble metal NPs from conventional chemical routes to physical methods including novel ion beam techniques.

中文翻译：

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嵌入式等离子体纳米结构：合成、基本方面及其表面增强拉曼散射应用

贵金属纳米粒子 (NP) 独特的物理和可调光学特性为开发新的传感平台提供了机会，该平台具有增强的各种小分子特异性检测能力。虽然贵金属纳米颗粒作为纳米材料很有趣，但作为高性能新型功能材料的未来和实际应用将需要使用这些纳米颗粒嵌入合适的主体材料中。这篇综述详细介绍了嵌入的贵金属 NPs 和局部环境如何影响传感特性，从而在纳米生物技术、表面增强拉曼散射 (SERS) 纳米技术的超灵敏化学和生化检测中的潜在应用。尽管之前已经回顾了基于贵金属 NPs 的 SERS 底物的合成和潜在应用，人们对嵌入的贵金属 NPs 的合成和功能化及其作为 SERS 底物的应用越来越感兴趣。这个话题在文献中很少被回顾。特别是，我们回顾了高活性固体和薄膜 SERS 基板，例如嵌入贵金属 NP 的聚合物和玻璃基板。我们还讨论了由于局部表面等离子体共振和增强的局部电磁场而导致的增强 SERS 活动的光学特性，重点是它们的基础和技术应用。这篇综述还包括一类新的有前途的多孔配位聚合物 SERS 基底（一种金属有机框架），其中嵌入了贵金属 NP。该综述首先解释了 SPR 和 SERS 增强的许多基本关键概念，以及在嵌入 NP 的情况下影响这些特性的因素。然后总结了嵌入 NPs 的高度可重复和坚固的 SERS 基板的制造方法，然后将它们的 SERS 应用于检测几种化学和生物分子。该文章还描述了这些嵌入贵金属纳米颗粒的 SERS 基板的制造从传统化学途径到物理方法（包括新型离子束技术）的最新进展。