The preparation and colloidal gold nanoparticles deposited using a wet-chemical, three-phase ligand-exchange procedure carried out at room temperature on anodic alumina oxide to enhance detection of materials using Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) is disclosed.

An actuator is provided that includes a housing, a linear actuating shaft disposed within the housing, a piston coupled with the shaft, and a fluid barrier disposed on an end of the shaft and encircled by the piston. The piston is movable longitudinally between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration upon rotation of the shaft. The fluid barrier engages an inner surface of the piston preventing fluid communication across the fluid barrier. The fluid barrier has a shaft engaging side which receives the shaft and a fluid facing side. A cavity is formed between the piston and the fluid facing side and expands when the piston moves to the extended configuration and contracts when the piston moves to the retracted configuration. A port is disposed in the piston and extends from the cavity to external the piston thereby permitting fluid communication between the cavity and external the piston.

A method may include measuring a formation sample using a Raman spectrometer to determine a formation sample characteristic, wherein the formation sample characteristic is mineral ID and distribution, carbon ID and distribution, thermal maturity, rock texture, fossil characterization, or combinations thereof.

A method may include measuring a formation sample using a Raman spectrometer to determine a formation sample characteristic, wherein the formation sample characteristic is mineral ID and distribution, carbon ID and distribution, thermal maturity, rock texture, fossil characterization, or combinations thereof.

A microspectroscopic device includes: a wavelength-tunable first light source configured to emit pump-light in a mid-infrared wavelength range; a second light source configured to emit probe-light in a visible range; a light source controller configured to change a wavelength of the infrared light source; a first optical system configured to combine the pump-light and the probe-light to acquired combined light and concentrate the combined light on a minute part of a sample; a second optical system configured to block at least the probe-light from transmitted light or reflected light of the sample; a detector configured to detect light incident thereon from the second optical system; a first spectrum acquisition means configured to acquire a spectrum of the incident light during the probe-light emission to the sample as a Raman spectrum or a fluorescence spectrum of the sample; and a second spectrum acquisition means configured to acquire an infrared absorption spectrum of the sample, based on a change in the spectrum of the incident light with respect to a change in a wavelength by the light source controller during the probe-light and pump-light emission to the sample.

A microspectroscopic device includes: a wavelength-tunable first light source configured to emit pump-light in a mid-infrared wavelength range; a second light source configured to emit probe-light in a visible range; a light source controller configured to change a wavelength of the infrared light source; a first optical system configured to combine the pump-light and the probe-light to acquired combined light and concentrate the combined light on a minute part of a sample; a second optical system configured to block at least the probe-light from transmitted light or reflected light of the sample; a detector configured to detect light incident thereon from the second optical system; a first spectrum acquisition means configured to acquire a spectrum of the incident light during the probe-light emission to the sample as a Raman spectrum or a fluorescence spectrum of the sample; and a second spectrum acquisition means configured to acquire an infrared absorption spectrum of the sample, based on a change in the spectrum of the incident light with respect to a change in a wavelength by the light source controller during the probe-light and pump-light emission to the sample.

An electro-plasmonic array is disclosed. The electro-plasmonic array includes a substrate and a plurality of nanoantennas disposed on a surface of the substrate, each of the electro-plasmonic nanoantennas including a conductive nanodisk and a conforming biocompatible electrochromic polymer layer.

Disclosed are a method and a device for transferring a nanoparticle monolayer by using a capillary tube, wherein a nanoparticle monolayer present in a liquid-gas interface is locally and selectively separated and then transferred to a substrate by using a capillary tube. Accordingly, nondestructive and reproducible transfer can be made regardless of the surficial properties and structures of the substrate to which the monolayer is to be transferred. Therefore, the method and the device enable an in-situ high-speed inspection of harmful materials, such as an illegal drug and a residual pesticide, on surfaces of various solids such as fiber clothes, food and banknotes, and can be easily coupled to a microfluid channel having a small size and a complicated structure. Further, the method and the device can transfer a nanoparticle monolayer in a simple and inexpensive process without using special and expensive equipment.

Disclosed are a method and a device for transferring a nanoparticle monolayer by using a capillary tube, wherein a nanoparticle monolayer present in a liquid-gas interface is locally and selectively separated and then transferred to a substrate by using a capillary tube. Accordingly, nondestructive and reproducible transfer can be made regardless of the surficial properties and structures of the substrate to which the monolayer is to be transferred. Therefore, the method and the device enable an in-situ high-speed inspection of harmful materials, such as an illegal drug and a residual pesticide, on surfaces of various solids such as fiber clothes, food and banknotes, and can be easily coupled to a microfluid channel having a small size and a complicated structure. Further, the method and the device can transfer a nanoparticle monolayer in a simple and inexpensive process without using special and expensive equipment.

Systems and methods here may be used for automated capturing and analyzing spectrometer data of multiple sample gemstones on a stage, including mapping digital camera image data of samples, applying a Raman Probe to a first sample gemstone under evaluation on the stage, receiving spectrometer data of the sample gemstone from the probe, automatically moving the stage to a second sample, using the image data, and analyzing the other samples.