Azo-Enhanced Raman Scattering for Enhancing the Sensitivity and Tuning the Frequency of Molecular Vibrations

Raman scattering provides stable narrow-banded signals that potentially allow for multicolor microscopic imaging. The major obstacle for the applications of Raman spectroscopy and microscopy is the small cross section of Raman scattering that results in low sensitivity. Here, we report a new concept of azo-enhanced Raman scattering (AERS) by designing the intrinsic molecular structures using resonance Raman and concomitant fluorescence quenching strategies. Based on the selection of vibrational modes and the enhancing unit of azobenzenes, we obtained a library of AERS molecules with specific Raman signals in the fingerprint and silent frequency regions. The spectral characterization and molecular simulation revealed that the azobenzene unit conjugated to the vibrational modes significantly enhanced Raman signals due to the mechanism of extending the conjugation system, coupling the electronic-vibrational transitions, and improving the symmetry of vibrational modes. The nonradiative decay of azobenzene from the excited state quenched the commitment fluorescence, thus providing a clean background for identifying Raman scattering. The most sensitive AERS molecules produced Raman signals of more than 4 orders of magnitude compared to 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU). In addition, a frequency tunability of 10 distinct Raman bands was achieved by selecting different types of vibrational modes. This methodology of AERS allows for designing small-molecule Raman probes to visualize various entities in complex systems by multicolor spontaneous Raman imaging. It will open new prospects to explore innovative applications of AERS in interdisciplinary research fields.