Improved discrimination of phenylalanine enantiomers by surface enhanced Raman scattering assay: molecular insight into chiral interaction.

SERS spectroscopy, a nontraditional chiral analysis tool, is used to discriminate between D- and L-phenylalanine (Phe), with the Raman scattering enhancement degree of D-Phe being 50-fold greater than that of L-Phe. Such discrimination is achieved by chiral interactions between Phe and the chiral drug molecule of sertraline on silver coated gold nanorods.