Re-understanding of SERS for General and Standardized Quantitative Analysis

Abstract

We proposed two physical concepts, i.e., an intramolecular relative cross section (RCS) and an intermolecular relative scattering ability (RSA), to re-understand and re-describe surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and established a general SERS quantification theory. Interestingly, RCS and RSA are intrinsic factors and are experimentally measurable to form datasheets of molecules, namely, SERS cards, with which a standard SERS quantification procedure was established. The validity of the theory and quantification procedure was confirmed by experiments. Surprisingly, RCS and RSA are also valid for complex systems being considered as virtual molecules and are experimentally measurable. This simplifies complex systems into analyte–virtual molecule binary systems. With this consideration, trace-level mitoxantrone (a typical cancer drug metabolite) in artificial urine was accurately predicted. The theory, the SERS cards, the standard quantification procedure, and the virtual molecule concept pave a way toward quantitative and standardized SERS spectroscopy in dealing with real-world problems and complex samples.