Investigation of graphene flake and photonic crystal structure enhancement effect by Raman spectroscopy of thymine

AbstractRaman spectroscopy is widely used for studying bioorganic materials. However, dealing with biological samples presents challenges such as limited quantities, tight timelines, complex preparation, and the need for improved precision. Hence, efforts are needed to enhance sensitivity and visualization for specific molecules or cells. This study explored using periodic waveguide structures (PWS) to amplify Raman signals of biological molecules, focusing on thymine. We found that composite nanostructures significantly boosted thymine’s Raman signal, further enhanced by injecting graphene nanoflakes. This research highlights the potential of enhanced Raman techniques in bioanalysis and paves the way for future advancements in this field.Keywords: Biological moleculesgrapheneperiodic waveguide structuresRaman spectroscopythymine Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Declaration of interest statementThe authors report there are no competing interests to declare.Additional informationFundingThis work was supported by the grant of the National Research Foundation of Ukraine within the framework of the Project 2022.01/0011 "Innovative photonic technologies of bio-medical direction for the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine", the Project №1.4. В/199 “Study of optical, plasmonic, and electrophysical properties of metal-carbon nanostructures”, the NATO Multi-years Project SPS G5351 “Nanocomposite Based Photonic Crystal Sensors of Biological and Chemical Agents”, the internal project of Fraunhofer IAP “Development of holographic photonic crystals using organic-inorganic nanocomposites as components for marker-free optical sensors”, and the Target Program of Fundamental Research of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Project “Laser engineering of nanoobjects: physical foundations and applications”.