This Virtual Special Issue will bring together current advances in the preparation of nanostructures that enable enhanced spectroscopies, explore state-of-the-art developments in instrumentation, and report on new methods and observations. Submit by May 31, 2024.

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The Journal of Physical Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, and ACS Omega will jointly publish a Virtual Special Issue (VSI) entitled “Celebrating 50 Years of Surface Enhanced Spectroscopy.” We welcome researchers to submit a manuscript describing their new and unpublished work to one of the three participating journals by May 31, 2024.

Ever since the report of the Raman signal from pyridine adsorbed on a roughened silver electrode was published in 1974, surface-enhanced spectroscopy has become one of the most active fields in chemistry, optics, and nanotechnology. Surface-enhanced effects are rich in complexity, and the last 50 years have been marked by the discovery of new physical phenomena and many important applications. Reports of atomically-localized electric field "hotspots," vibrational mode imaging and anomalous anti-Stokes behavior are just a few recent examples.

This VSI, organized by Alexandre Brolo (University of Victoria) and Nathan Lindquist (Bethel University), will bring together current advances in the preparation of nanostructures that enable enhanced spectroscopies, explore state-of-the-art developments in instrumentation, and report on new methods and observations related to surface-enhanced spectroscopy. The VSI will also focus on the latest advances in understanding the physical and chemical characteristics of the phenomenon.

Submission Instructions

Please select the journal that is the best fit for your manuscript. Information about each journal’s scope is given below, along with specific instructions on how to ensure the journal you submit to is aware that you would like to participate in the VSI.

All submissions to The Journal of Physical Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, or ACS Omega will be peer-reviewed with the same standards and expectations applied to all other manuscripts submitted to the journals. To ensure an unbiased peer-review process, each journal asks that you do not indicate within your manuscript that the submission is intended for the VSI. If you do, your manuscript will be returned for correction.

The Journal of Physical Chemistry

As with all submissions to JPC, your manuscript for the VSI should represent a rigorous scientific report of original research. Manuscripts are expected to provide new physical insight and/or present new theoretical or computational methods of broad interest.

If you would like to submit to The Journal of Physical Chemistry, please state prominently in the cover letter for the submission that the paper is intended for the “Celebrating 50 Years of Surface Enhanced Spectroscopy” VSI. There is no option in the submission process to select a particular VSI, so mentioning it in the cover letter is essential.

Analytical Chemistry

All manuscripts submitted to Analytical Chemistry as part of this Virtual Special Issue must adhere to the journal scope and involve fundamental chemical measurement science or a significantly improved, original application.

If you would like to submit to Analytical Chemistry, you will be able to select the VSI during the submission process. Once you specify the “Article” manuscript type in Step 1, an option entitled “Special Issue Selection (By Invitation Only)” will appear. Please select “Celebrating 50 Years of Surface Enhanced Spectroscopy” from the drop-down menu.

ACS Omega

ACS Omega is a gold open-access journal for the publication of scientific articles that describe new findings in chemistry and interfacing areas of science, without any perceived evaluation of immediate impact. Article Publication Charges apply for this fully open-access journal. Please see our website for more information on Open Access Pricing, our ACS Country Discount & Waiver Policy, and ACS Read and Publish agreements. Since it is a fully open-access journal, your paper will be available to anyone, at anytime, anywhere in the world.

If you would like to submit to ACS Omega, you will be able to select the VSI during the submission process. Once you specify the “Article” manuscript type in Step 1, an option entitled “Special Issue Selection” will appear. Please select “Celebrating 50 Years of Surface Enhanced Spectroscopy” from the drop-down menu.

Contributing to this Virtual Special Issue

If you are unsure if your research is within the scope of this VSI or have other questions about submitting a manuscript to this VSI, please email:

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