Anal Methods. 2017 Aug 3;9(30):4338-4340. doi: 10.1039/c7ay90097j.
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has been increasingly used in the last decade for the identification of organic colourants in works of art. 'Surface-enhancement' is the giant increase in Raman scattering intensity experienced by organic molecules adsorbed on atomically rough metallic surfaces. In the case of organic colourants, which are in general strongly luminescent under laser excitation and therefore cannot usually be identified by conventional Raman microscopy (see AMCTB no. 67), SERS yields a strong and clearly resolved spectrum, allowing for easy identification. Unlike ordinary Raman spectroscopy, SERS often requires sampling, yet the sample size is considerably smaller (from 20 to 100 micrometres) than that required for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the benchmark technique for organic colourants analysis. For this reason, SERS has seen substantial use in the analysis of works of art such as prints, drawings, paintings, and polychrome sculpture. This technical brief focuses on the practical aspects of SERS and its application to the analysis of cultural heritage material, as well as on its current limitations.
在过去十年中，表面增强拉曼光谱（SERS）越来越多地用于鉴定艺术品中的有机色素。“表面增强”是指吸附在原子粗糙金属表面的有机分子所经历的拉曼散射强度的巨大增加。对于有机色素而言，它们通常在激光激发下具有强烈的发光性，因此通常无法通过传统拉曼显微镜鉴定（见AMCTB第67期），而SERS能产生强且清晰分辨的光谱，便于鉴定。与普通拉曼光谱不同，SERS通常需要取样，但其样品尺寸（20至100微米）比用于有机色素分析的基准技术——高效液相色谱（HPLC）所需的样品尺寸小得多。因此，SERS在版画、素描、绘画和彩色雕塑等艺术品分析中得到了大量应用。本技术简报重点关注SERS的实际应用方面及其在文化遗产材料分析中的应用，以及其当前的局限性。
