Label Free Detection of DNA on Au/ZnO/Ag Hybrid Structure Based SERS Substrate

Au/ZnO/Ag based SERS substrate was fabricated for the label free detection of DNA of Escherichia Coli bacteria. The SERS substrate was fabricated by growing ZnO nanorod arrays on thermally evaporated ultrathin Ag film of 5 nm thickness using hydrothermal process. Non-spherical like Au nanoparticles were decorated on ZnO nanorod arrays by sputtering technique with sputtering time of 45 sec. The surface of Au/ZnO/Ag was observed to be nearly superhydrophobic exhibiting the contact angle of 144 degrees. A low volume (5 mu l) of aqueous solution of DNA of laboratory strain Escherichia Coli with very low concentration was adsorbed on fabricated SERS substrate by drop casting. The SERS detection of DNA molecules was achieved up to lower concentration of 10(-8) M due to strong local electric field enhancement at the nanometer gap among Au nanoparticles and superhydrophobic nature of Au/ZnO/Ag surface.