The alkali metal cation effect on the surface-enhanced Raman spectra of phosphate anions adsorbed at silver electrodes

The interaction of adsorbed phosphate anions with alkali metal cations at the Ag|aqueous solution interface has been investigated by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Formation of ion pairs at the interface was evident from the cation-induced perturbations in the SER spectra of anions. The frequency of the external vibration, silver–oxygen (Ag---O′), was not sensitive to the nature of cation, while the relative intensity of this mode was cation-dependent and was explored as a sensitive probe for the monitoring of coadsorption of ions at the interface. From the internal phosphate vibrations, both asymmetric modes, δ_as(PO) and ν_as(PO), were found to be the most sensitive to the nature of the cation. At a relatively positive potential (0.00 V vs. Ag | AgCl) the spectral parameters for the Cs⁺ and K⁺ cations were very similar indicating the same bonding type with anions. A more inhomogeneous chemical environment for the phosphate oxygen atoms was detected in the case of Na⁺ and Li⁺ cations. An increase in ν_as(PO) frequency by ca. 10 cm⁻¹ was the characteristic spectral signature for the interaction of phosphates with Li⁺. The formation of water-shared ion pairs at the interface was suggested based on the absence of splitting in the ν_as(PO) mode and the previously observed frequency sensitivity of this band to solvent H₂O substitution by D₂O. At negative potential (−0.80 V), a stabilization effect of Cs⁺ on the phosphate adlayer was detected based on the twofold increase in intensity of the ν(Ag---O′) mode compared with Li⁺. Splitting of the ν_as(PO) mode suggested the contact interaction of anions with specifically adsorbed Cs⁺ cations.