Disclosed herein is a method for making a nanoparticle film comprising dispersing nanoparticles in a first liquid; adding a second liquid to the first liquid to form a nanoparticle film on top of a solution comprising the first liquid, the second liquid and the nanoparticles, wherein the second liquid has a dielectric constant that is different from a dielectric constant of the first liquid; and contacting a substrate with the solution to deposit the nanoparticle film onto the contacted portion of the substrate. Disclosed herein too is a method for detecting an analyte comprising dispersing nanoparticles in a first liquid; adding a second liquid to the first liquid to form a nanoparticle film on top of a solution comprising the first liquid, the second liquid and the nanoparticles, wherein the second liquid has a dielectric constant that is different from a dielectric constant of the first liquid; contacting a substrate with the solution to deposit the nanoparticle film onto the substrate; disposing upon the nanoparticle film an analyte; and performing surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy to determine the identity of the analyte.