Dear Colleagues,

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) have both been used to provide highly sensitive detection of molecules. Like surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors, LSPR sensors, which are usually based on metallic nanoparticles or nanostructured substrates, detect molecular binding based on changes in refractive index. On the other hand, SERS is a technique that can provide spectral fingerprint of molecules and can thus be used to identify molecules. The enhancement effects of SERS substrates mainly come form the LSPR effects of metallic nanoparticles or nanostructures. Therefore, nanomaterials play important roles in both LSPR and SERS detection of molecules. The plasmonic properties, the surface properties, the morphologies, and the arrangement of nanomaterials can all affect the sensitivity and the reproducibility of the detection results. The LSPR effect of metallic nanoparticles is highly dependent on the size, the shape, and the material of nanoparticles. The surface properties of nanoparticles can affect the functionalization of nanoparticles, the storage stability, the nonspecific binding, the molecular adsorption, and the biocompatibility. A variety of metallic nanomaterials have been synthesized and fabricated for LSPR and SERS applications, and other nanomaterials such as graphene and carbon nanotubes have also been used in these applications to improve the detection performance. It should be noted that in addition to the synthesis of nanomaterials, the arrangement and the functionalization of nanomaterials can also have a significant impact on detection.

This Special Issue focuses on the recent progress in the design and application of nanomaterials for LSPR and SERS applications. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Nanomaterials that can be used as SERS and LSPR substrates;
• Nanomaterials that can be used to enhance the detection performance (sensitivity, specificity, etc.) of LSPR and SERS sensors;
• Nanomaterials that can be used for sample preparation in LSPR and SERS applications;
• Nanomaterials that can be used as Raman nanoprobes;
• Nanomaterials that can be used to capture target molecules for LSPR and SERS sensing;
• Synthesis, assembly, and functionalization of nanomaterials for SERS and LSPR applications.

We are pleased to invite the community to submit manuscripts to be considered for publication in this Special Issue of Nanomaterials. Original research papers, both experimental and theoretical, and review articles are welcome. We look forward to your participation.

Dr. Yih-Fan Chen
Dr. Nien-Tsu Huang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• nanomaterial synthesis and application
• assembly and functionalization of nanomaterials
• surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy (SERS)
• localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)
• plasmonics
• nanoparticles, nanocomposites, and nanostructures
• graphene
• carbon nanotubes
• chemical sensors