Surface-enhanced infrared absorption studies towards a new optical biosensor.

Reflectometric interference spectroscopy (RIfS), which is well-established in the visual regime, measures the optical thickness change of a sensitive layer caused, e.g., by binding an analyte. When operated in the mid-infrared range the sensor provides additional information via weak absorption spectra (fingerprints). The originally poor spectra are magnified by surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA). This is demonstrated using the broad complex fluid water band at 3300 cm-1, which is caused by superposition of symmetric, antisymmetric stretching vibration, and the first overtone of the bending vibration under the influence of H-bonds and Fermi resonance effect. The results are compared with a similar experiment performed with an ATR (attenuated total reflectance) set-up.