Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering Probes Research Articles

Facile SERS-active chip (PS@Ag/SiO2/Ag) for the determination of HCC biomarker

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is one of the deadliest diseases worldwide, has drawn significant attention in recent research. Early diagnosis is important for the quick control and prevention of the disease. Until now, among the various detection methods, the strategies based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) are considered the most attractive owing to the high selectivity and sensitivity. In this investigation, we designed a novel type of SERS-active chip for detecting the HCC biomarker Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive Alpha-fetoprotein, AFP-L3, which utilizes a two-dimensional non-close-packed polystyrene colloid sphere arrays@Ag/SiO2/Ag shell (PS@Ag/SiO2/Ag) composite structure with different sizes as the SERS-active chip and an antibody-conjugated Ag/SiO2/Ag surface labeled with 5,5-Dithiobis (succinimidyl-2-nitrobenzoate) (DSNB) as the SERS probe. A good linear relationship between the concentration of AFP-L3 and the Raman intensity ratio I1390/I1074 of DSNB was obtained, with the correlation coefficient R2 = 0.997. Moreover, when the proposed SERS-active chip was utilized over the range of AFP-L3 concentrations 0–8 ng/mL, the limit of detection (3σ) was determined to be 0.078 ng/mL. The developed method was applied to the determination of AFP-L3 in three serum samples collected from patients diagnosed with liver disease, demonstrating its potential for application in clinical diagnosis.

Omnidispersible Hedgehog Particles with Multilayer Coatings for Multiplexed Biosensing.

Hedgehog particles (HPs) replicating the spiky geometry of pollen grains revealed surprisingly high dispersion stability regardless of whether their hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity matches that of the media or not. This property designated as omnidispersibility is attributed to the drastic reduction of van der Waals interactions between particles coated with stiff nanoscale spikes as compared to particles of the same dimensions with smooth surfaces. One may hypothesize but it remains unknown, however, whether HPs modified with polymers or nanoparticles (NPs) would retain this property. Surface modifications of the spikes will expand the functionalities of HPs, making possible their utilization as omnidispersible carriers. Here, we show that HPs carrying dense conformal coatings made by layer-by-layer (LBL/LbL) assembly maintain dispersion stability in environments of extreme polarity and ionic strength. HPs, surface-modified by multilayers of polymers and gold NPs, are capable of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and overcome the limited colloidal stability of other SERS probes. The agglomeration resilience of HPs leads to a greater than one order of magnitude increase of SERS intensity as compared to colloids with smooth surfaces and enables simultaneous detection of several targets in complex media with high ionic strength. Omnidispersible optically active colloids open the door for rapid multiplexed SERS analysis in biological fluids and other applications.

Bare laser‐synthesized Au‐based nanoparticles as nondisturbing surface‐enhanced Raman scattering probes for bacteria identification

The ability of noble metal-based nanoparticles (NPs) (Au, Ag) to drastically enhance Raman scattering from molecules placed near metal surface, termed as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), is widely used for identification of trace amounts of biological materials in biomedical, food safety and security applications. However, conventional NPs synthesized by colloidal chemistry are typically contaminated by nonbiocompatible by-products (surfactants, anions), which can have negative impacts on many live objects under examination (cells, bacteria) and thus decrease the precision of bioidentification. In this article, we explore novel ultrapure laser-synthesized Au-based nanomaterials, including Au NPs and AuSi hybrid nanostructures, as mobile SERS probes in tasks of bacteria detection. We show that these Au-based nanomaterials can efficiently enhance Raman signals from model R6G molecules, while the enhancement factor depends on the content of Au in NP composition. Profiting from the observed enhancement and purity of laser-synthesized nanomaterials, we demonstrate successful identification of 2 types of bacteria (Listeria innocua and Escherichia coli). The obtained results promise less disturbing studies of biological systems based on good biocompatibility of contamination-free laser-synthesized nanomaterials.

Functionalized Au@Ag-Au nanoparticles as an optical and SERS dual probe for lateral flow sensing.

Lateral flow assay strips (LFASs) with Au nanoparticles (NPs) have been widely used as a probe for biomarkers in point-of-care testing; however, there still remain challenges in detection sensitivity and quantitative analysis. In this study, we developed a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based LFAS for quantitative analysis of a biomarker in the low concentration range. Moreover, apart from conventional Au NPs, three other types of citrate-capped Au-Ag bimetallic NPs: Au core with Ag shell NPs (Au@Ag NPs), rattle-like Au core in Ag-Au shell NPs (Au@Ag-Au NPs) and Ag-Au NPs were prepared and functionalized, and their solution-based SERS activities were comprehensively studied by experimental measurement and theoretical analysis. The results clearly indicated that the citrate-capped Au@Ag-Au NPs exhibited the highest SERS activity among the probes tested. Au@Ag-Au NPs were used as both optical and SERS probes in a SERS-based LFAS. In the presence of the analyte at high concentrations, a purple color appeared in the test zone. Highly sensitive and quantitative analysis was realized by measurement of SERS signals from the test lines. One of the most specific markers for cardiac injury, cardiac troponin I (cTnI), was chosen as the detection model. The detection limit of the SERS-based LFAS for cardiac troponin I was 0.09 ng/mL, lowered by nearly 50 times compared with visual results, and could be further lowered by optimization. These results demonstrated that the SERS-based LFAS using citrate-capped Au@Ag-Au NPs as probes can be a powerful tool for highly sensitive and quantitative detection of biomarkers. Graphical abstract A surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based lateral flow assay strip using rattle-like Au core in Ag-Au shell (Au@Ag-Au) nanoparticles as probes was developed for quantitative analysis of a biomarker, with a detection limit nearly 50 times lower than that of visual assessment. C control line, T test line.

Ag@Fe₃O₄ Core-Shell Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Probe for Trace Arsenate Detection.

Developing an effective and reliable method for trace arsenic (As) detection is a prerequisite for improving the safety of drinking water. In this paper, we designed and prepared Ag@Fe3O4 core-shell nanoparticles (NPs), which were then used as Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) probe for trace arsenate (As(V)) detection. The Ag@Fe3O4 core-shell NPs were prepared by in situ growth of Fe3O4 NPs on the surface of AgNPs, which can effectively combine the strong adsorption ability of Fe3O4 nanoshells to As(V) with high SERS activity of Ag nanocores to decrease the detection limit. By use of Ag@Fe3O4 core-shell NPs for As(V) detection, the detection limit can be as low as 10 μg/L, and a good linear relationship between the SERS intensity of As(V) and their concentrations in the range from 10 to 500 μg/L was achieved. Furthermore, Ag@Fe3O4 core-shell NPs could be regenerated through desorption of As(V) from Fe3O4 nanoshells in NaOH solution, and then used for recyclic SERS detection. Therefore, it has been demonstrated for the first time that multifunctional Ag@Fe3O4 core-shell SERS probe could be applied to realize the highly sensitive and reversible detection of As(V).

Raman probe based on hollow-core microstructured fiber

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technology can effectively enhance the Raman signal of sample molecules. It has a higher sensitivity to detect biomolecule and thus has many potential applications in biochemistry. The combination of hollow-core microstructured fiber and SERS technology not only enables remote real-time and distributed detection, but also can increase the effective action area between the light field and the object to be measured, and further reduce silica glass background signal that is unavoidable in traditional fiber probes. In this paper, the hollow-core microstructure fiber Raman probes with excellent performance are investigated from the aspects of fiber preparation and SERS experi-mental testing. First, we design and manufacture a kind of hollow-core microstructured fiber with multi-bands in the visible and near-infrared wavelength. The fibers show good light guide performance and thus can fully meet the requirements for surface-enhanced Raman excitation and signal transmission. At the same time, the large core size facilitates the coupling of excitation light, and provides enough room for the test object and the light field. Then, this hollow-core microstructured fiber is used in surface-enhanced Raman experiment. A layer of nano-Ag film is modified on the inner surface of the hollow-core microstructure fiber to prepare the SERS probe by the vacuum physical sputtering method, and Rhodamine 6G (R6G) alcohol solutions with different concentrations are prepared by the dilution method. The hollow-core microstructured fiber deposited with the Ag nano-film is immersed in R6G alcohol solution for 2 min. The alcohol solution of R6G is sucked into the air hole of the hollow-core microstructured fiber by the capillary effect. Then this fiber with R6G alcohol solution is placed in a drying oven at 40 ℃ for 3 h until the alcohol solvent in the air hole is completely volatilized. After that, this fiber is taken out and tested under a detection environment full with air. The fiber SERS probes are tested by microscopic confocal Raman spectroscopy, then the Raman spectra of R6G alcohol solvents with different concentrations are obtained. An R6G Raman signal with a concentration as low as 10-9 mol/L is successfully detected on the front side of the probe. In the far-end back-side detection mode, the detected concentration of SERS probe can be less than 10-6 mol/L. The designed hollow-core microstructured fiber probe has a simple structure and is easy to prepare and test. Compared with the traditional optical fiber, it has advantages of large effective area for the test object and the light field, small interference from the silica glass background signal. This hollow-core microstructured fiber probe has wide application prospects in biochemical detection and other fields.

Review—Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Sensors for Food Safety and Environmental Monitoring

This article gives a review of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensors for food safety and environmental pollution monitoring. It introduces the basic concepts of SERS substrates, SERS enhancement factors and mechanisms, SERS probes/labels, molecular recognition elements as well as optofluidic SERS devices (SERS sensors integrated with microfluidics). This article places an emphasis on the design strategies of various SERS sensors by utilizing fingerprinting SERS spectra or by using SERS probes. It highlights the applications of SERS sensors in detection of heavy metals (such as Hg2+, Pb2+, Cd2+ and As3+), inorganic anions (nitrite, nitrate, perchlorate and fluoride), toxic small molecules (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, polychlorinated biphenyls, herbicides, pesticides, antibiotics and food additives), as well as pathogens (bacteria and viruses).

Endoscopic imaging using surface-enhanced Raman scattering

AbstractIn this review, we assessed endoscopic imaging using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). As white-light endoscopy, the current standard for gastrointestinal endoscopy, is limited to morphology, Raman endoscopy using surface-enhanced Raman scattering nanoparticles (SERS endoscopy) was introduced as one of the novel functional modalities. SERS endoscopy has multiplex capability and high sensitivity with low autofluorescence and photobleaching. As a result, multiple molecular characteristics of the lesion can be accurately evaluated in real time while performing endoscopy using SERS probes and appropriate instrumentation. Especially, recently developed dual modality of fluorescence and SERS endoscopy offers easy localization with identification of multiple target molecules. For clinical use of SERS endoscopy in the future, problems of limited field of view and cytotoxicity should be addressed by fusion imaging, topical administration, and non-toxic coating of nanoparticles. We expect SERS endoscopic imaging would be an essential endoscopic technique for diagnosis of cancerous lesions, assessment of resection margins and evaluation of therapeutic responses.

Paper-Based Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Lateral Flow Strip for Detection of Neuron-Specific Enolase in Blood Plasma.

An inexpensive and disposable paper-based lateral flow strip (PLFS) has been developed as an immunoassay, in which surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is utilized for sensing signal transduction. The Au nanostar@Raman Reporter@silica sandwich nanoparticles are developed as the SERS probes, which is the key to the high sensitivity of the device. Compared with a colorimetric PLFS, the SERS-PLFS exhibits superior performance in terms of sensitivity and limit of detection (LOD) in a blood plasma-containing sample matrix. In addition, the SERS-PLFS has been successfully used for detection of neuron-specific enolase (NSE), a traumatic brain injury (TBI) protein biomarker, in diluted blood plasma samples, achieving a LOD of 0.86 ng/mL. Moreover, the SERS-PLFS was successfully employed to measure the NSE level in clinical blood plasma samples taken from deidentified TBI patients. This work demonstrates that the SERS-PLFS has great potential in assisting screening of TBI patients in the point-of-care setting.

Rational Design of Ultrabright SERS Probes with Embedded Reporters for Bioimaging and Photothermal Therapy.

Plasmonic nanoparticles can be utilized as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) probes for bioimaging and as photothermal (PT) agents for cancer therapy. Typically, their SERS and PT efficiencies reach maximal values under the on-resonant condition, when the excitation wavelength overlaps the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) wavelength preferably in the near-infrared (NIR) biological window. However, the photogenerated heat may inevitably disturb or even destroy biological samples during the imaging process. Herein, we develop ultrabright SERS probes composed of metallic Au@Ag core-shell rodlike nanomatryoshkas (RNMs) with embedded Raman reporters. By rationally controlling the Ag shell thickness, the LSPR of RNMs can be tuned from UV to NIR range, resulting in highly tunable SERS and PT properties. As bright NIR SERS imaging nanoprobes, RNMs with a thick Ag shell are designed for minimal PT damage to the biological targets under the off-resonance condition, as illustrated through monitoring the changes in mitochondrial membrane potential of cancer cells during SERS imaging procedure. By contrast, RNMs with a thin Ag shell are designed as multifunctional NIR theranostic probes that combine enhanced photothermal therapy capability, as exemplified by efficient PT killing of cancer cells, with reduced yet still efficient imaging properties at the on-resonance excitation.

A recyclable silver ions-specific surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensor

A highly sensitive and recyclable surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) chip sensor is designed for the determination of silver ions. It is based on the specific reversible binding between silver ions and glucose oxidase (GOD). The sensing chip is made by layer-by-layer assembling GOD on a metal nanoparticle-assembled, SERS-active chip with a positive charged polyelectrolyte as a linker. Iso-alloxazine, a chromophore in flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) in GOD, coordinates with silver ions, which causes significant variation in SERS spectra of GOD. The reaction shows high sensitivity and selectivity for silver ions with the detection limit of 1.0×10−10M. Most significantly, the bonded Ag(I) in GOD can be reduced to Ag(0) by sodium borohydride and the GOD structure can be recovered then. Thus, the chip sensor is recyclable. Merits of using GOD as a novel SERS probe toward Ag+ are embodied in not only a simplified sensor structure based on its dual role of Ag+ accepter and SERS signal reporter, but also a nontoxic label to biological systems, indicating that it is promising for tracing Ag+ in vivo.

Gd2O3-doped silica @ Au nanoparticles for in vitro imaging cancer biomarkers using surface-enhanced Raman scattering

There has been an interest in developing multimodal approaches to combine the advantages of individual imaging modalities, as well as to compensate for respective weaknesses. We previously reported a composite nano-system composed of gadolinium-doped mesoporous silica nanoparticle and gold nanoparticle (Gd-Au NPs) as an efficient MRI contrast agent for in vivo cancer imaging. However, MRI lacks sensitivity and is unsuitable for in vitro cancer detection. Thus, here we performed a study to use the Gd-Au NPs for detection and imaging of a widely recognized human cancer biomarker, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), in individual human cancer cells with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The Gd-Au NPs were sequentially conjugated with a monoclonal antibody recognizing EGFR and a Raman reporter molecule, 4-meraptobenzoic acid (MBA), to generate a characteristic SERS signal at 1075cm−1. By spatially mapping the SERS intensity at 1075cm−1, cellular distribution of EGFR and its relocalization on the plasma membrane were measured in situ. In addition, the EGFR expression levels in three human cancer cell lines (S18, A431 and A549) were measured using this SERS probe, which were consistent with the comparable measurements using immunoblotting and immunofluorescence. Our SERS results show that functionalized Gd-Au NPs successfully targeted EGFR molecules in three human cancer cell lines and monitored changes in single cell EGFR distribution in situ, demonstrating its potential to study cell activity under physiological conditions. This SERS study, combined with our previous MRI study, suggests the Gd-Au nanocomposite is a promising candidate contrast agent for multimodal cancer imaging.

Facile synthesis of silver nanoparticles/carbon dots for a charge transfer study and peroxidase-like catalytic monitoring by surface-enhanced Raman scattering

In this work, carbon dots (CDs) were combined with Ag nanoparticles (NPs) by a chemical reaction to form Ag NPs/CDs hybrid, which was then used as a novel surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate. During the synthetic process, carboxyl groups on the surface of Ag NPs were reacted with amino groups of CDs in an amidation reaction. The D and G bands of CDs in the Ag NPs/CDs hybrid could be easily detected by SERS. By employing p-aminothiophenol (PATP) molecules as SERS probes, the Ag NPs/CDs hybrid substrate could detect PATP in diluted solutions of concentration as low as 10−9M. The charge transfer (CT) effect on SERS spectra with different excitation wavelengths in the prepared Ag NPs/CDs hybrid and PATP system was also investigated. It was found that addition of CDs changes the degree of CT between Ag NPs and PATP molecules. Since the prepared Ag NPs/CDs hybrid also showed a peroxidase-like activity toward the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine using H2O2, which can provide the sensitive detection of H2O2 by SERS technique.

Bioanalytical Measurements Enabled by Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Probes.

Since its discovery in 1974, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has gained momentum as an important tool in analytical chemistry. SERS is used widely for analysis of biological samples, ranging from in vitro cell culture models, to ex vivo tissue and blood samples, and direct in vivo application. New insights have been gained into biochemistry, with an emphasis on biomolecule detection, from small molecules such as glucose and amino acids to larger biomolecules such as DNA, proteins, and lipids. These measurements have increased our understanding of biological systems, and significantly, they have improved diagnostic capabilities. SERS probes display unique advantages in their detection sensitivity and multiplexing capability. We highlight key considerations that are required when performing bioanalytical SERS measurements, including sample preparation, probe selection, instrumental configuration, and data analysis. Some of the key bioanalytical measurements enabled by SERS probes with application to in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo biological environments are discussed.

Interrogating Cells, Tissues, and Live Animals with New Generations of Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Probes and Labels.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) probes and labels exploit surface-enhanced Raman signatures of specifically chosen reporter molecules and intrinsic biomolecules in the plasmonic near field of gold and silver nanostructures. They offer several advantages over other optical labels and sensors with respect to sensitivity and selectivity, mobility, and biocompatibility. Here, the multifunctionality and versatility of SERS labels that come from the vibrational spectroscopic information and their ability to act as nanoprobes of a biological environment are discussed. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering probes have the potential to become the next-generation sensor technology for monitoring cells and tissues. They improve our understanding of cellular function and will play a major role in future theranostic applications.

Application of cone-cylinder combined fiber probe to surface enhanced Raman scattering

Owing to increasingly severe environmental pollution, food safety and other problems, higher and higher requirements for the detecting technique of poisonous and harmful biochemical molecules have been put forward. The conventional biochemical detector has the disadvantages of large size, high cost and inability to realize far-end and in-situ detection functions. Based on the requirements of the biochemical molecular detection technology for high sensitivity, miniaturization, far-end detection, insitu detection, real-time analysis and the like, a detection method using a fiber surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) probe to carry out Raman signal detection has been put forward in recent years. The detection method not only realizes far-end and insitu detection functions, but also has a relatively high sensitivity. In this paper, a taper and cylinder combination type fiber probe is made by adopting a simple tube corrosion method, Under the situation of fixed temperature, cone-cylinder combined fiber probes with different diameters are obtained by controlling the corrosion time, and silver nanoparticles are bound to the surface of a silanized silicon dioxide fiber probe through electrostatic forces. Then, the sizes and morphologies of silver nanoparticles on the surface of the fiber probe are observed under a scanning electron microscope. Besides, the detection limit of a rhodamine 6G (R6G) solution is used to manifest both the activity and the sensitivity of the fiber probe, and the self-assembly time of the silver nanoparticles are further optimized to be 30 min and the diameter of the fiber probe to be 62 upm. When the concentration of a silver sol solution is constant, a high-sensitivity fiber SERS probe can be prepared. Through far-end detection, the detection limit of the R6G can reach 10-14 mol/L, and the enhancement factor is 1.36104. This work can serve as an experimental basis for a novel fiber surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensor in such aspects as high sensitivity and low cost. The studies of this paper are expected to provide an appropriate detection technique for rapid quantitative detection of biochemical molecules, and further provide a reference for various application fields of environmental monitoring and food safety analysis in future in terms of realizing rapid and accurate in-situ detection. Therefore, the fiber SERS probe has large application foreground in molecular detection.

Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering Probes Based on Antibody Conjugated Au Nanostars for Distinguishing Lung Cancer Cells from Normal Cells

Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering Probes Based on Antibody Conjugated Au Nanostars for Distinguishing Lung Cancer Cells from Normal Cells

Ultrasensitive Signal-On Detection of Nucleic Acids with Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering and Exonuclease III-Assisted Probe Amplification.

The methodological development of nucleic acids detection is a rapidly growing research field. Here, we report a powerful method to detect nucleic acids by an integration of surface-enhanced Raman scattering and exonuclease III-assisted probe amplification. With a unique signal-on strategy, we have demonstrated that the target DNA of MnSOD gene in concentrations as low as 1 aM can reproducibly be detected, which offers a detection limit several orders of magnitude better than the previous reports in the literature. The new biosensor exhibits an excellent specificity in differentiating DNA sequences with a single-base mismatch. As a robust, flexible, and ultrasensitive approach, it promises important applications in clinical diagnostics and DNA identification where only a very limited amount of the biological sample is available.

Preparation of Biocompatible, Luminescent-Plasmonic Core/Shell Nanomaterials Based on Lanthanide and Gold Nanoparticles Exhibiting SERS Effects

Multifunctional core/shell type nanomaterials composed of nanocrystalline, lanthanide doped fluorides and gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were successfully prepared. The products were synthesized to combine luminescence properties of the core NPs, i.e., LnF3/SiO2–NH2 and KLn3F10/SiO2–NH2, and plasmonic activity of the shell Au NPs within a single nanomaterial. The luminescent lanthanide NPs (10 or 150–200 nm) were separated from the gold NPs (6–30 nm) using an amine modified silica shell (thickness ≈30 nm). The synthesized products exhibited bright green (Tb3+) and red (Eu3+) emission under UV light irradiation. Surface modification with Au NPs influenced the product emission and luminescence decay characteristics. The luminescent-plasmonic nanomaterials were used as platforms for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) measurements. 4-Mercaptobenzoic acid, choline, and T4 bacteriophages were utilized as SERS probes. For all synthesized nanomaterials, the SERS spectra for all probes studied exhibited higher ...

In-Plate and On-Plate Structural Control of Ultra-Stable Gold/Silver Bimetallic Nanoplates as Redox Catalysts, Nanobuilding Blocks, and Single-Nanoparticle Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Probes.

Noble metal bimetallic nanomaterials have attracted a great deal of attention owing to the strong correlation between their morphology and chemical and physical properties. Even though the synthetic strategies for controlling the shapes of monometallic nanomaterials such as gold (Au) and silver (Ag) are well-developed, limited advances have been made with Au/Ag bimetallic nanomaterials to date. In this work, we demonstrate a highly complex in-plate and on-plate structural control of Au/Ag bimetallic nanoplates (Au/AgBNPLs) in contrast to conventional, simply structured, 1D and 2D, branched, and polyhedral nanomaterials. The polymer used in the synthesis of seeds plays a critical role in controlling the structure of the Au/AgBNPLs. The Au/AgBNPLs exhibit exceptionally high chemical stability against various chemical etchants and a versatile catalytic reactivity with biologically and environmentally relevant chemical species. Significantly, the reversible assembly formation of the Au/AgBNPLs is demonstrated by carrying out the surface-functionalization of the materials with thiol DNA, emphasizing the potential applications of the Au/AgBNPLs in various diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Finally, the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) properties of the Au/AgBNPLs are experimentally and theoretically investigated, demonstrating a substantial potential of the Au/AgBNPLs as single-nanoparticle SERS probes. Electron microscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy are employed to analyze the structure and composition of the Au/AgBNPLs at the atomic level.