Metallic Nanowire Arrays and Methods for Making and Using Same

Abstract

Freestanding metallic nanowires attached to a metallic substrate are disclosed. A method of creating the nanowire structure using an anodized layer is presented. In one embodiment an optical SERS sensor is formed. The sensor head has at least one array of nanowires chemically functionalized to recognize molecules of interest. A method of forming a SERS sensor and using the sensor to analyze a sample is presented.

1 . A nanowire array comprised of a plurality of substantially free-standing nanowires, each nanowire with a first end and second end;
 a substrate with a surface where the substantially free-standing nanowires are attached to the surface at the first end and the free-standing nanowires are not supported by a layer of material that is substantially distinct from the substrate material.   
     
     
         2 . The nanowire array of  claim 1  where the nanowires and the substrate are substantially the same material. 
     
     
         3 . The nanowire array of  claim 1  where the nanowires are made from one of silver, nickel, iron, gold, cadmium, silicon, Germanium or GaAs. 
     
     
         4 . The nanowire array of  claim 1  where the nanowires are made of copper. 
     
     
         5 . A nanowire array comprised of a plurality of free-standing nanowires each attached to a substrate, where said nanowires are between about 1 micron and 10 microns in length and where the array exhibits nanowire densities between about 10 9  and 10 12  nanowires per cm 2 . 
     
     
         6 . The nanowire array of  claim 5  where the nanowires are made of the substantially the same material as the substrate. 
     
     
         7 . The nanowire array of  claim 5  where the nanowires are made of one of silver, nickel, iron, gold, cadmium, silicon, germanium or GaAs. 
     
     
         8 . The nanowire array of  claim 5  where the nanowires are made of copper. 
     
     
         9 . The nanowire array of  claim 2  where the nanowires are made of copper.