Single molecule surface enhanced Raman scattering (SM-SERS) is a highly local effect occurring at sharp edges, interparticle junctions and crevices or other geometries with a sharp nanoroughness of plasmonic nanostructures ("hot spots"). The emission of an individual molecule at SM-SERS conditions depends on the local enhancement field of the hot spots, as well as the binding affinity and positioning at a hot spot region. In this regard, the stability of near-field nano-optics at hot spots is critical, particularly in a biological milieu. In this perspective review, we address recent advances in the experimental and theoretical approaches for the successful development of SM-SERS. Significant progress in the understanding of the interaction between the excitation electromagnetic field and the surface plasmon modes at the metallic or metallic/dielectric interface of various curvatures are described. New knowledge on methodological strategies for positioning the analytes for SM-SERS and Raman-assisted SERS or the SERS imaging of live cells has been acquired and displayed. In the framework of the extensive development of SM-SERS as an advancing diagnostic analytical technique, the real-time SERS chemical imaging of intracellular compartments and tracing of individual analytes has been achieved. In this context, we highlight the tremendous potential of SERS chemical imaging as a future prospect in SERS and SM-SERS for the prediction and diagnosis of diseases.

An "ink" (cyanamide) infiltrated anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) stamp is found capable of printing carbon nitride films featuring regular microstructures of the stamp onto the substrates via in situ "chemical vapor deposition". A photocurrent density of 30.2 μA cm(-2 --) at 1.23 VRHE is achieved for a film on a conductive substrate, which is so far the highest value for pure carbon nitride based photoelectrochemical devices.

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Quantitative experiments on the evaporation from sessile droplets of aqueous saline (NaCl) solutions show a strong dependence on salt concentration and droplet shape. The experiments were performed with seven decades of initial NaCl concentrations, with various droplet sizes and with different contact angles. The evaporation rate is significantly lower for high salt concentrations and small contact angles than what is expected from the well-accepted diffusion-controlled evaporation scenario for sessile droplets, even if the change of the vapor pressure due to the salt is taken into account. Particle tracking velocimetry reveals that this modification of the evaporation behavior is caused by marangoni flows that are induced by surface tension gradients originating from the local evaporative peripheral salt enrichment. In addition it is found that already very low salt concentrations lead to a pinning of the three phase contact line. Whereas droplets with concentration ≥10(-6) M NaCl are pinned as soon as evaporation starts, droplets with lower salt concentration do evaporate in a constant contact angle mode. Aside from new, fundamental insights the findings are also relevant for a better understanding of the widespread phenomenon of corrosion initiated by sessile droplets.

Single cell analysis (SCA) is nowadays recognized as one of the key tools for diagnostics and fundamental cell biology studies. The Layer-by-layer (LbL) polyelectrolyte assembly is a rather new but powerful technique to produce multilayers. It allows to model the extracellular matrix in terms of its chemical and physical properties. Utilization of the multilayers for SCA may open new avenues in SCA because of the triple role of the multilayer film: (i) high capacity for various biomolecules; (ii) natural mimics of signal molecule diffusion to a cell and (iii) cell patterning opportunities. Besides, light-triggered release from multilayer films offers a way to deliver biomolecules with high spatio-temporal resolution. Here we review recent works showing strong potential to use multilayers for SCA and address accordingly the following issues: biomolecule loading, cell patterning, and light-triggered release.

Oil-in-water (o/w) Pickering emulsions stabilized with silica nanoparticles were prepared. Droplets of diethyl phthalate (oil phase) act as reservoirs for 8-hydroxyquinoline (8-HQ), which is used as (a) the hydrophobizing agent for the silica particles and (b) an encapsulated corrosion inhibitor for application in active feedback coatings. The hydrophobization of silica nanoparticles with 8-HQ is determined by the amount of this agent adsorbed on the nanoparticle surface. The latter is governed by the 8-HQ concentration in the aqueous phase, which in turn depends on the degree of protonation and finally on the pH. We observe three ranges of 8-HQ adsorption value with respect to nanoparticle hydophobization: (1) insufficient, (2) sufficient, and (3) excessive adsorption by the formation of an 8-HQ bilayer, where only case 2 leads to the necessary nanoparticle hydrophobization. Hence emulsions stable in a narrow pH window between pH 5.5 and 4.4 follow. Here functional molecules are sufficiently charged to compensate for the charges on silica nanoparticles to make them interfacially active and thus able to stabilize an emulsion but they are still to a large extent uncharged and thereby remain in the oil phase. The emulsification is reversible upon changing the pH to a value beyond the stability region.

Chitosan/xanthan gum microcontainers with a core-shell structure formed due to chemical interactions between polysaccharide chains induced by ultrasonication are presented. Containers were prepared by sonication of water-immiscible (oil-like) liquids in the solution of polysaccharides. One-step fabrication of the container permanent shell is possible, because of the contribution of ultrasonically caused formation of hydrogen bonds and amide linkages. We synthesized containers in a wide size range from 350 nm to 7500 nm, varying in oil/water ratio. The microcontainers were modified with oppositely charged polyelectrolytes and microparticles, which could be used to impart the specified properties to the system. The biocide 4,5-dichloro-2-n-octyl-4-isothiazoline-3-one (DCOIT) was loaded into the proposed containers by utilizing its solution as an oil phase. The following incorporation of the DCOIT containers into the polymer coating demonstrated more sustained antimicrobial activity (∼30%) of the biocide in the encapsulated state, compared to its non-encapsulated form.