Optical/sensing applications, -conjugated

Rochat S, Swager TM. Conjugated amplifying polymers for optical sensing applications. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2013 5 4488-4502. 

L -Conjugated Organoboron Polymers Used in Optical and Sensing Applications... 

The electron delocalizing capability of a boron atom arising from its empty p-orbital positions it as an ideal candidate for incorporation in conjugated polymers for use in optical and sensing applications. The majority of the examples of boron-atom-containing conjugated polymers have been synthesized via the hydroboration reaction. However, other synthetic procedures have also been utilized. 

However, the low sensitivity problem of Raman spectroscopy can be overcome by the optical phenomenon called surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), which originates from the conjugation of molecules with the novel metal nanomaterials such as gold or silver. After the first report of such a phenomenon in 1974 [16], several techniques were developed for a wide variety of applications. Current development in nanotechnology has accelerated the researches about SERS to realize accurate, sensitive, selective, and practical sensing platform in several areas including biomolecular detection. 

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