The fundamental understanding of the subtle interactions between molecules and plasmons is of great significance for the development of plasmon‐enhanced spectroscopy (PES) techniques with ultrahigh sensitivity. However, this information has been elusive due to the complex mechanisms and difficulty in reliably constructing and precisely controlling interactions in well‐defined plasmonic systems. Herein, the interactions in plasmonic nanocavities of film‐coupled metallic nanocubes (NCs) are investigated. Through engineering the spacer layer, molecule–plasmon interactions were precisely controlled and resolved within 2 nm. Efficient energy exchange interactions between the NCs and the surface within the 1–2 nm range are demonstrated. Additionally, optical dressed molecular excited states with a huge Lamb shift of ≈7 meV at the single‐molecule (SM) level were observed. This work provides a basis for understanding the underlying molecule–plasmon interaction, paving the way for fully manipulating light–matter interactions at the nanoscale.

The emerging field of plasmonics has promoted applications of optical technology, especially in plasmon-enhanced spectroscopy (PES). However, in plasmon-enhanced fluorescence (PEF), "metal loss" could significantly quench the fluorescence during the process, which dramatically limits its applications in analysis and high-resolution imaging. In this report, silver core silica shell-isolated nanoparticles (Ag@SiO NPs or SHINs) with a tunable thickness of shell are used to investigate the interactions between NPs and emitters by constructing coupling and noncoupling modes. The plasmonic coupling mode between Ag@SiO NPs and Ag film reveals an exceeding integrating spectral intensity enhancement of 330 and about 124 times that of the radiative emission rate acceleration for shell-isolated nanoparticle enhanced phosphorescence (SHINEP). The experimental findings are supported by theoretical calculations using the finite-element method (FEM). Hence, the SHINEP may provide a novel approach for understanding the interaction of plasmon and phosphorescence, and it holds great potential in surface detection analysis and singlet-oxygen-based clinical therapy.

Plasmonic technologies are available for multi-scale biomedical imaging ranging from micrometre to angstrom level.

The construction and clinical application of a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) platform for the early diagnosis of lung cancer could improve the survival rate of patients and would be of...

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A mechanism to form Ag/TiO2 heterostructures by a solvothermal reducing reaction in HMTA solvent is reported.

Addressing the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has highlighted the need for rapid, accurate, and low-cost diagnostic methods that detect specific antigens for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Tests for COVID-19 are based on reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR), which requires laboratory services and is time-consuming. Here, by targeting the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, we present a point-of-care SERS detection platform that specifically detects SARS-CoV-2 antigen in one step by captureing substrates and detection probes based on aptamer-specific recognition. Using the pseudovirus, without any pretreatment, the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its variants were detected by a handheld Raman spectrometer within 5 min. The limit of detection (LoD) for the pseudovirus was 124 TU μL –1 (18 fM spike protein), with a linear range of 250–10,000 TU μL –1 . Moreover, this assay can specifically recognize the SARS-CoV-2 antigen without cross reacting with specific antigens of other coronaviruses or influenza A. Therefore, the platform has great potential for application in rapid point-of-care diagnostic assays for SARS-CoV-2.

CuS decorated TiO2 nanofibers were successfully prepared by the combination of electrospinning and hydrothermal processes. The TiO2 nanofibers were prepared via the heat-treatment of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP)/tetrabutyl titanate Ti(OBu)4 composite nanofibers which were prepared through sol-gel processing. The SEM (Scanning electron microscope) and TEM (Transmission electron microscope) images reveal that the diameters of TiO2 nanofibers are <100 nm and that island like CuS particles attached to the TiO2 nanofibers form the heterostructure. The heterogeneous catalysis property of as-prepared samples was testified via methyl blue dye decomposition and the samples showed enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of the simulation of pollutants.