Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) combined techniques for high-performance detection and characterization

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an emerging analytical technique with high speed and sensitivity, despite some shortcomings. Combined with other techniques can overcome these limitations and enhance the capability for detection and characterization with SERS, and has been successfully in many recent studies. Various SERS combined techniques are systematically summarized in this review for the first time. SERS can be combined with diverse techniques, such as chemical separation, biological capturing, colorimetry, microfluidic devices, and labeling techniques, to enhance detection capabilities. Moreover, combinations of SERS and other chemical analytical techniques such as mass spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, Infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, can enable more precise characterization. The theories and applications of these SERS combined techniques as well as their pros and cons are compared, and further perspectives are proposed. This review provides new insights into advances in SERS combined techniques and their use in real-life studies.