Optically Trapped Surface-Enhanced Raman Probes Prepared by Silver Photoreduction to 3D Microstructures.

3D microstructures partially covered by silver nanoparticles have been developed and tested for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) in combination with optical tweezers. The microstructures made by two-photon polymerization of SU-8 photoresist were manipulated in a dual beam optical trap. The active area of the structures was covered by a SERS-active silver layer using chemically assisted photoreduction from silver nitrate solutions. Silver layers of different grain size distributions were created by changing the photoreduction parameters and characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The structures were tested by measuring the SERS spectra of emodin and hypericin.