<scp>Surface‐Enhanced</scp>Raman Spectroscopy: Principles, Methods, and Applications in Energy Systems^†

Abstract

Comprehensive Summary Surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has advanced significantly since its inception. Numerous experimental and theoretical efforts have been made to understand the SERS effect and demonstrate its potential. Due to its extremely high sensitivity and selectivity and ability to provide molecular fingerprint information, SERS has a wide range of applications in surface and interfacial chemistry, energy, materials, biomedicine, environmental analysis, etc . This review aims to provide readers with an understanding of the principles, methodologies, and applications of SERS. We briefly introduce the fundamental theory of the SERS enhancement mechanism and summarize the details of the preparation of SERS‐active substrates. Recent applications of SERS in energy systems are then highlighted, including probing surface reactions and interfacial charge transfer of batteries and electrocatalysts. Finally, the challenges and prospects of SERS research are discussed.