Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering Substrate for the Detection of Explosives: Construction Strategy and Dimensional Effect

•This paper mainly focuses on the SERS substrates with different dimensions.•The effects of SERS substrate structure on the detection performance of explosives are reviewed.•The surface modification, target explosives, EF and LOD of SERS substrates are summarized.•The future opportunities and challenges of SERS-based explosive sensors are prospected.