Applications of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy based on portable Raman spectrometers: A review of recent developments

Recently, the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) technique emerges as a potential promising analytical tool for rapid, sensitive, and selective detection which can provide unique information about the substances in the presence of plasmonic nanostructures via finger-printing SERS spectra. The progress in nanostructure SERS substrates and portable Raman spectrometers will promote this novel detection technique to play an important role in the future rapid on-site assay. In this review, we summarized the latest research on SERS detection technique combined based on nanostructure SERS-active substrates with portable Raman spectrometers and their potential on-site detection applications in environment pollutants, agricultural pollutants, biomedical analysis, and other newly emerging fields (focusing particularly on the last 5 years of research). The future perspective of SERS for on-site analysis is also discussed.