Spectroscopic characterization and Langmuir-Blodgett films of a novel azopolymer material

Spectroscopic characterization and fabrication of Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of an azopolymer-pyridine (PAzPy) are reported. UV-visible absorption and fluorescence spectra, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, and Raman spectra were recorded. The vibrational assignment of the observed spectra is supported by a complete geometry optimization, followed by vibrational frequency and intensity computations of both the trans and cis forms of the monomer (AzPy) using density functional theory at the B3LYP 6-31G(d,p) level of theory. Langmuir monolayers of the polymer (PAzPy) were formed at the water-air interface, and LB films of high quality were formed onto solid substrates. The polymer LB films were investigated by surface-enhanced Raman scattering.     

气/液界面Langmuir单分子膜的原位拉曼光谱

提出了一种原位测量气/液界面Langmuir单分子膜拉曼光谱的新方法, 即利用SERS技术, 通过降低亚相的方法来获得气/液界面Langmuir单分子膜的原位拉曼光谱. 利用这种方法, 用原位拉曼光谱测量系统得到了信噪比较好的十八胺及二棕榈酰磷脂酰胆碱单分子膜的拉曼光谱, 在分子水平上获取了单分子膜中的结构信息.     

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of 2,5-dibromopyridine and 2,6-dibromopyridine

The surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of 2,6-dibromopyridine and 2,5-dibromopyridine in silver hydrosol has been studied. A satisfactory correlation has been observed between the normal Raman spectra in aqueous solution and their surface-enhanced Raman (SER) spectra in silver hydrosol. The prominent features in the SER spectra of the compounds are the strongly enhanced peaks at 1175 and 1369 cm⁻¹ due to (py)CBr and (CC,CN)(py) stretching vibrational modes respectively in 2,6-dibromopyridine and almost no enhancement of intensities in those vibrations in 2,5-dibromopyridine.     

Vibrational spectroscopic studies of mesna and dimesna

Raman, and infrared spectra of mesna and dimesna have been collected in the present spectroscopic studies. Based on the group frequencies, relative intensities and Raman depolarization measurements, some vibrational assignments have been suggested. For both mesna and dimesna, at least two rotational conformers have been identified. Adsorption behavior was investigated from the recorded surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra. It was found that both mesna and dimesna adsorbed as thiolate on silver sol particles with the cleavage of the S-H bond in mesna and the S-S bond in dimesna. For the adsorbed thiolate, two conformers existed in the adsorption state.     

Fourier transform Raman and infrared and surface-enhanced Raman spectra for rhodamine 6G

The vibrational spectra of rhodamine 6G (R6G) are discussed on the basis of Fourier transform infrared and Fourier transform Raman spectra obtained far from resonance which are compared with resonance Raman and surface-enhanced resonance Raman spectra obtained with excitation at 457.9 nm. The behaviour of several bands is described and tentative assignments are proposed. Stong resonance Raman effects are observed for bands assignable to xanthene ring stretching modes and also xanthene ring deformation modes. Some of these are sensitive to the complexing of R6G with silver colloids.     

Electronic and vibrational surface-enhanced Raman scattering: from atomically defined Au(111) and (100) to roughened Au

In surface-enhanced Raman spectra, vibrational peaks are superimposed on a background continuum, which is known as one major experimental anomaly. This is problematic in assessing vibrational information especially in the low Raman-shift region below 200 cm⁻¹, where the background signals dominate. Herein, we present a rigorous comparison of normal Raman and surface-enhanced Raman spectra for atomically defined surfaces of Au(111) or Au(100) with and without molecular adsorbates. It is clearly shown that the origin of the background continuum is well explained by a local field enhancement of electronic Raman scattering in the conduction band of Au. In the low Raman-shift region, electronic Raman scattering gains additional intensity, probably due to a relaxation in the conservation of momentum rule through momentum transfer from surface roughness. Based on the mechanism for generation of the spectral background, we also present a practical method to extract electronic and vibrational information at the metal/dielectric interface from the measured raw spectra by reducing the thermal factor, the scattering efficiency factor and the Purcell factor over wide ranges in both the Stokes and the anti-Stokes branches. This method enables us not only to analyse concealed vibrational features in the low Raman-shift region but also to estimate more reliable local temperatures from surface-enhanced Raman spectra.

Both electronic and vibrational information at the metal/dielectric interface were explicitly extracted from surface-enhanced Raman spectra.     

FT-IR, FT-raman and SERS spectra of L-proline

IR, Raman and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of L-proline were recorded and analyzed. The molecular plane assumes a tilted orientation with respect to the metal surface. The vibrational wavenumbers and corresponding vibrational assignments are examined theoretically using the Gaussian 03 set of quantum chemistry codes.     

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering and adsorption studies of morphine on silver island film

In this work, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), infrared adsorption (IR), normal Raman (NR) scattering as well as density functional theory (DFT) computational methods have been employed to investigate the adsorption and orientation of morphine on silver surface. The structure of morphine and its vibrational spectra were determined at B3LYP/6-31G(d) level, and the results were used in the assignment of the vibrational spectra. The calculated data showed fairly good agreement with both corresponding experimentally observed spectra. These results, along with the application of surface selection rules of SERS, suggest that the molecules had a charge transfer adsorption on Ag island film and both planes of its ‘T’ type structure had a rather perpendicular orientation to the substrate mainly via the lone-pair electrons of the oxygens.     

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering studies on the adsorption of p-nitrobenzoic acid at Au electrode under different potential with ultraviolet excitation

The potential-dependent surface-enhanced Raman spectrum of adsorbed p-nitrobenzoic acid (PNBA) on the roughened Au electrode has been obtained by using ultraviolet (UV) excitation at 325 nm. The surface-enhanced Raman spectra of PNBA intensely changed when the voltage was in the rang of negative value, and the electrode potential at which the resonance (potential of maximum intensity) occurs varied when the vibrational mode changes, indicating that the PNBA molecules were chemisorbed on the roughened Au surface. The charge transfer (CT) mechanism could probably explain the experiment results in the present work.     

Citrate-reduced silver hydrosol modified with omega-mercaptoalkanoic acids self-assembled monolayers as a substrate for surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering. A study with cytochrome c

A new citrate-reduced silver hydrosol coated with omega-mercaptoalkanoic acids (mercaptopropionic and mercaptoundecanoic acids) self-assembled monolayers was prepared and characterized with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. The structure and the quality of the coating monolayers are discussed and compared to similar coated and uncoated silver hydrosols previously developed. As an application, the new hydrosol was used as a biocompatible and efficient metal substrate for a surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) study of cytochrome c. The high-quality SERRS spectra reported of cytochrome c (obtained using only 1 microL of a micromolar cytochrome solution) are discussed and compared with data available from literature studies.     

FT-Raman, FTIR and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of the antiviral and antiparkinsonian drug amantadine

FT-Raman, FTIR and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) are applied to the vibrational characterization of the antiviral and antiparkinsonian drug amantadine. SERS spectroscopy is employed for the first time for characterizing the interfacial behavior of this molecule and to study its interaction with colloidal silver. The comparison of SERS spectrum with the Raman spectra of amantadine in solid state and in aqueous solution reveals remarkable changes attributed to the interaction of the drug with the metal through the unprotonated amino group and the formation of a self-assembled amantadine layer on the metal surface. A tentative assignment of the obtained vibrational spectra is carried out on the basis of the vibrational spectra of the structurally related molecules adamantane and tert-buthylamine and the ab initio calculations accomplished for amantadine.     

Structural properties and Raman spectroscopy of lipid Langmuir monolayers at the air-water interface

Spectra of octadecylamine (ODA) Langmuir monolayers and egg phosphatidylcholine (PC)/ODA-mixed monolayers at the air-water interface have been acquired. The organization of the monolayers has been characterized by surface pressure-area isotherms. Application of polarized optical microscopy provides further insight in the domain structures and interactions of the film components. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) data indicate that enhancement in Raman spectra can be obtained by strong interaction between headgroups of the surfactants and silver particles in subphase. By mixing ODA with phospholipid molecules and spreading the mixture at the air-water interface, we acquired vibrational information of phospholipid molecules with surfactant-aided SERS effect.     

SERS detection of streptavidin/biotin monolayer assemblies

A two-dimensional array of gold nanotriangles inscribed onto glass coverslips were optimized for the surface-enhanced Raman detection of streptavidin/biotin monolayer assemblies. The nanostructures were fabricated by electron beam lithography, and its optical parameters were optimized to be probed under a Raman microscope with a linearly polarized He-Ne laser with an excitation wavelength of λ = 632.8 nm. The platforms were first tested against a monolayer of biotinylated alkanethiols (BAT) functionalized over the gold nanostructure, showing that good-quality spectra could be acquired with a short acquisition time. The supramolecular interaction of streptavidin (strep) with BAT showed subsequent modification of the Raman spectrum that implies a change in the secondary structure of the host biomolecule (streptavidin). Compared to gold surfaces without nanoscale structures, the local enhancement that results from our nanostructured surfaces allows one to detect the vibrational signal of monolayers within a time on the order of seconds and under modest laser intensity, further demonstrating the utility of using plasmonic metallic nanostructures for molecular recognition.     

Interfacial study of benzenesulfinate chemisorbed on silver

The oxidative stability of self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of thiols on silver was examined with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS). A benzenesulfinate (BS) monolayer on silver was also prepared and investigated with MALDI-TOF-MS and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The presence of sulfinate, sulfonate, and thiosulfonate fragment ions reveals that thiolate monolayers oxidize in the air. The relative abundance of C6H5SO2- and C6H5SO3- species in the mass spectra of the monolayer with different air-exposure times provides an estimation of the oxidation progress. In the vibrational spectrum, the large red shift of v(SOO-), combined with the lack of a shift of v(C-S) upon adsorption, indicates its bidentate O-coordination. The orientation of the confined molecules, based on the Raman surface selection rules, was derived from the preferential enhancement of the different functional groups. The benzene ring of BS was found almost normal to the metal surface as a result of the intermolecular forces; that geometry excludes the possibility of the pi-system of the benzene ring from participating as another binding site. The SER spectra of BS obtained via a selective etching process confirms these observations.     

Enhanced Raman spectrum of lawsone on Ag surface: vibrational analyses, frequency shifts, and molecular geometry

The surface-enhanced Raman spectrum of lawsone, a well known natural dye, has been investigated. Activation with KNO(3) or Na(2)SO(4) solution was necessary to enhance the Raman signal, whereas addition of NaCl solution depletes the effects. In the enhanced Raman spectrum, the strong double-bond stretching bands are most distinctive and show large red shifts from those in the infrared and FT-Raman spectra. The observed strong double-bond stretching bands reflect lawsone coordinated perpendicular to the Ag surface. DFT computations have been carried out for the plausible configurations of lawsone coordinated to an adatom on the Ag surface. Lawsone coordinated to an Ag(+) adatom with H(+) released best reproduces the observed vibrational characteristics.     

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering study of the adsorption of croconate violet on colloidal silver particles

Very stable silver particle suspension has been synthesized for use in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy with near-infrared exciting radiation. Such citrate-stabilized silver particles were obtained through a suitable control of the nucleation and growth process during the synthesis. The SERS spectra of the bis(dicyanomethylene) croconate dianion or croconate violet (CrocV) were obtained, with excitation in the near-infrared and in the visible region. The differences in the spectral patterns were correlated with a pre-resonance Raman effect of the adsorbate. The vibrational frequencies of CrocV isolated and interacting with silver surface were obtained through theoretical calculations using DFT method that together the surface selection rules allowed to perform the vibrational assignment of the SERS spectra and to infer the adsorption geometry.     

Ultraviolet Raman study of thymine on the Au electrode

We record the potential-dependent Raman spectra of thymine adsorbed on the roughened Au electrode by ultraviolet (UV) excitation at 325 nm, and we find that the surface-enhanced Raman spectra of thymine changed intensely with the negative shift of the applied potential. When the vibrational mode changes, the resonance potential (potential of maximum intensity) varies accordingly, indicating that the thymine molecules were chemisorbed on the roughened Au surface. The charge transfer (CT) mechanism could probably explain the experiment results in the present work.     

Surface-enhanced vibrational Raman spectroscopy of C60 and C70 on rough silver surfaces

The observation of the surface-enhanced vibrational Raman spectra of vapor-deposited C₆₀ and C₇₀ on rough silver films is reported. Both near-monolayer and multilayer films of pure C₆₀ and of C₆₀/C₇₀ mixtures are studied. The films are obtained by evaporating fullerene samples at temperatures of 683–875 K in ultra-high vacuum. Mixed fullerene samples were greatly enriched in C₇₀ by making use of the slightly different vapor pressures of the two major components at the low end of this temperature range. The spectra contain all the lines of the normal Raman spectra as well as several additional lines caused by a reduction in the stringency of the normal Raman selection rules. These results demonstrate the potential of this technique for detecting small quantities of fullerenes and obtaining their vibrational spectra.     

密度泛函理论研究黄曲霉素B1的表面增强拉曼散射效应

用密度泛函理论B3LYP方法和6—311G（d,p）／Lan12DZ优化得到黄曲霉素B1（AFBI）分子及其复合物AFB1-Ag的稳定结构,并计算了复合物的表面增强拉曼光谱和预共振拉曼光谱．结果表明,AFB1分子的拉曼光谱很大程度依赖于吸附位点以及入射光的激发波长．与分子的常规拉曼光谱相比,复合物表面增强拉曼光谱中C=O伸缩振动模的增强因子约为10^2—10^3,是由于复合物的极化率增强而导致的静态化学增强,并分析了振动模式的振动方向与其拉曼强度的关系．选择复合物最大吸收峰附近激发光266和482nm以及远离共振吸收波长785和1064nm作为入射光,计算得到不同入射光激发下复合物的预共振拉曼光谱．结果表明其增强因子最大达N100量级,主要是由电荷转移产生的共振增强引起的．     

SERS detection of the vibrational Stark effect from nitrile-terminated SAMs to probe electric fields in the diffuse double-layer

The vibrational Stark effect is observed in the surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectra of self-assembled monolayers functionalized with pendant nitrile groups. Stark tuning of the nitrile-stretching frequency serves as a localized probe of the electric field in the diffuse double layer of a SAM-modified electrochemical interface. Stark-tuning rates at low ionic strength correspond to reasonable values of the local electric (E) field in the double layer. The nitrile-stretching frequency converges on its isotropic value at applied potentials approaching the PZC, which indicates that Stark-tuning of the frequency is a direct probe of the E field at the interface. Loss of the local electric field at high ionic strengths shows that the probe responds to changes in the Debye length of the double layer. The results demonstrate the applicability of this electric-field probe for characterizing the diffuse double-layer region.