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JRM Vol.38 No.5 pp. 1245-1252
(2026)

Paper:

Large-Scale Analysis of Intra-and Inter-Particle Distributions of SERS Enhancement Factor

Takeru Sasaki*, Taito Ikeuchi** ORCID Icon, Wataru Yamamoto*, Saki Kozawa** ORCID Icon, Naotomo Tottori*** ORCID Icon, Ryosuke Oketani* ORCID Icon, Yoko Yamanishi*** ORCID Icon, Miho Tagawa** ORCID Icon, and Kotaro Hiramatsu* ORCID Icon

*Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University
744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan

**Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Nagoya University
Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8603, Japan

***Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University
744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan

Received:
March 20, 2026
Accepted:
June 6, 2026
Published:
October 20, 2026
Keywords:
optical sensing, bioimaging, surface-enhanced Raman scattering, statistical analysis
Abstract

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) can be a powerful tool for live-cell molecular imaging, yet its quantitative reliability is often limited by signal fluctuations arising from stochastic hotspot formation. We performed a large-scale statistical analysis of the SERS enhancement factor using DNA-gold nanoparticle (DNA-AuNP) crystals as a particle-like SERS substrates. Using a home-built confocal Raman microscope, we conducted hyperspectral SERS imaging of 190 individual particles using Rhodamine 6G as a probe molecule. Multivariate curve resolution alternating least squares (MCR-ALS), applied to masked particle regions, successfully decomposed the intra-particle signals into three distinct spectral components: vertical and horizontal molecular adsorption geometries, and a metallic lattice vibration component. Our statistical analysis revealed that while absolute SERS intensities showed significant variation, particularly in the vertical orientation (CV=2.264), the horizontal orientation exhibited lower variability (CV=0.767). Furthermore, the intensity ratio between these components (C1/C2) yielded a CV of 1.907, providing a quantitative benchmark for spectral profile consistency. Furthermore, a spatial correlation between the metallic lattice signal and the specific vertical orientation was observed. These results demonstrate that DNA-AuNP crystals provide a uniform surface chemistry and a consistent distribution of enhancement sites. We propose that monitoring these low-frequency metallic lattice vibrations during the fabrication process could provide a real-time feedback mechanism to further improve the reproducibility of SERS sensors. This study establishes a robust framework for the evaluation of SERS-active substrates, paving the way for quantitative molecular sensing in complex biological environments.

Visualization of multiple SERS components

Visualization of multiple SERS components

Cite this article as:
T. Sasaki, T. Ikeuchi, W. Yamamoto, S. Kozawa, N. Tottori, R. Oketani, Y. Yamanishi, M. Tagawa, and K. Hiramatsu, “Large-Scale Analysis of Intra-and Inter-Particle Distributions of SERS Enhancement Factor,” J. Robot. Mechatron., Vol.38 No.5, pp. 1245-1252, 2026.
Data files:
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Last updated on Oct. 19, 2026