Emerging Trends in Plasmonic Biosensors: Materials, Technologies, and Translational Research

Dear Colleagues,

Plasmonic biosensors have emerged as a powerful class of analytical platforms for the highly sensitive and specific detection of biomolecules, enabling transformative advances in biomedical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and point-of-care testing. By exploiting the unique optical properties of metallic nanostructures—such as localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and plasmon-enhanced spectroscopies—these systems offer exceptional capabilities for real-time, label-free, and multiplexed detection.

Recent progress in plasmonic biosensing has been driven by advances in nanomaterial design, including gold (Au) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles, nanostructured substrates, and hybrid bio–synthetic interfaces. These developments have significantly improved sensitivity, reproducibility, and stability, addressing long-standing challenges in quantitative biosensing and accelerating the translation of plasmonic technologies toward clinical applications.

Among these approaches, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has gained particular attention due to its ability to provide ultrasensitive detection with molecular fingerprint specificity. At the same time, other plasmonic modalities—including LSPR- and SPR-based sensing, plasmon-enhanced fluorescence, and photothermal detection—are expanding the functional landscape of biosensing platforms.

In parallel, the integration of plasmonic materials with microfluidics, digital bioassays, and lab-on-a-chip technologies has enabled the development of next-generation biosensors with improved throughput, automation, and single-particle sensitivity. Furthermore, advances in Raman instrumentation—such as confocal Raman microscopy (CRM), spatially offset Raman scattering (SORS), and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS)—are broadening the scope of plasmonic sensing for biomedical imaging and diagnostics.

This Special Issue aims to highlight recent advances in plasmonic biosensors across multiple sensing mechanisms and platforms, with a strong emphasis on translational biomedical applications, including extracellular vesicle-based diagnostics, cancer detection, and point-of-care systems.

Topics of Interest:

• Plasmonic biosensors based on LSPR, SPR, and SERS mechanisms;
• Design of high-sensitivity, reproducible, and quantitative plasmonic sensing platforms;
• Plasmonic nanomaterials and hybrid bio–synthetic interfaces;
• Digital, droplet-based, and microfluidic plasmonic biosensing systems;
• Extracellular vesicle (EV) and nanoparticle-based diagnostics;
• Raman-based biosensing and imaging (including SERS, TERS, and SORS);
• Plasmon-enhanced fluorescence and photothermal sensing approaches;
• Wearable, handheld, and portable plasmonic sensing devices;
• Lab-on-a-chip and integrated biosensing technologies;
• Theoretical and computational studies on plasmon–biomolecule interactions;
• Translational research bridging plasmonic biosensors and clinical diagnostics.

Review articles should provide critical perspectives on emerging trends, technological challenges, and future opportunities in SERS and Raman imaging for biomedical applications.

We look forward to your contributions to this Special Issue, which aims to provide a comprehensive overview of cutting-edge materials, technologies, and translational strategies in plasmonic biosensing.

Dr. Sumit Kumar
Guest Editor

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• surface-enhanced Raman scattering
• extracellular vesicle detection
• digital biosensing
• lab-on-a-chip platforms
• translational nanodiagnostics