Raman spectroscopy is a valuable tool in various research fields. The technique yields structural information from all kind of samples often without the need for extensive sample preparation. Since the Raman signals are inherently weak and therefore do not allow one to investigate substances in low concentrations, one possible approach is surface-enhanced (resonance) Raman spectroscopy. Here, rough coin metal surfaces enhance the Raman signal by a factor of 10(4)-10(15), depending on the applied method. In this review we discuss recent developments in SERS spectroscopy and their impact on different research fields.

The presented work demonstrates, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time the capability of an aluminium surface to act as an SERS-active substrate for deep-UV excitation wavelengths.

Raman Spectroscopy / Wavenumber Calibration / Intensity Calibration / ChemometricsA wavenumber and intensity calibration procedure of Raman spectra by using chemometric techniques is presented. This approach allows the fine tuning of calibration parameters and routines with the final goal to eliminate setup dependent differences within experimentally recorded Raman spectra. This seems to be necessary since more and more Raman databases are needed for different analytical tasks, like identification of minerals or bacteria. Minimizing the impact of the applied experimental Raman setup on the reference (database stored) Raman spectra allows the databases to be enlarged very easily by feeding the database with Raman spectra recorded with different setups. Furthermore the chemometric analysis performance increases due to the larger number and better quality of reference spectra.

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