Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering of Self-assembled Superstructures

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering(SERS) is a molecular specific spectroscopic technique that amplifies the Raman signal of absorbed molecules for up to 10¹⁰ times. Over the past decades, SERS substrates experienced rapid growth, resulting in excellent development for SERS analysis. Because the surface plasmonic resonance coupling between individual materials can form a “hotspot” region to maximize the Raman signal, among many substrate construction strategies, self-assembly attracts more attention in constructing superstructures with strong, uniform and stable SERS activity. In addition, a number of plasmon-free nanomaterials with appropriate superstructures samely show enhanced SERS activity, which is primarily attributed to the formation of the optical resonator. This review aims to provide a scientific synopsis on the progress of self-assembled superstructures for SERS and ignite new discoveries in the SERS platform, as well as SERS applications in various fields.