退火法制备石墨烯-银纳米粒子及其增强拉曼实验

针对目前SERS基底上金属颗粒制备过程中存在的分布不均匀、易氧化和稳定性差等缺点,通过热蒸镀和高温退火获得分布均匀的SERS基底;同时结合石墨烯优良的光学性能、化学惰性、荧光猝灭以及本身的SERS增强等优点,制备了稳定的石墨烯-银纳米颗粒（GE/AgNPs）复合结构SERS基底。通过GE/AgNPs复合结构的拉曼光谱稳定性试验证明了石墨烯在GE/AgNPs结构中起到隔绝银纳米颗粒与空气直接接触及催化氧化银脱氧的作用,有利于SERS基底的时间稳定性。(1) 石墨烯、Ag纳米颗粒及其复合结构的制备。首先采用热蒸镀和高温退火的方法使Ag纳米颗粒均匀地沉积在SiO₂/Si基底上,再采用化学气相沉积法在Cu箔上制备少层石墨烯,并用湿法转移法将石墨烯转移到目标基底上,并实验研究了以不同的退火顺序对GE/AgNPs基底造成的影响。(2) 石墨烯、Ag纳米颗粒及其复合基底的表征。分别采用光学显微镜、扫描电子显微镜和拉曼光谱进行表征,得到转移后的纯石墨烯较完整地覆盖在SiO₂/Si基底上面,表面比较平整,但在少数地方仍然存在褶皱和杂质;SEM表征结果表明对于不同制备流程的GE/AgNPs复合结构上的Ag纳米颗粒基本呈球形。基本符合Ostwald熟化理论,通过对退火温度和时间的控制能获得平均粒径在40~60 nm的银颗粒,且分布较均匀。此外,在不同退火顺序中,石墨烯的加入对银纳米颗粒的扩散形成扩散势垒,从而出现较大的不规则的颗粒。(3) 基底稳定性试验和仿真分析。通过基底本身的Raman mapping测试,分析了石墨烯拉曼特征峰峰值和半高宽的变化,得知基底对石墨烯本身的拉曼增强效果主要来源于银纳米颗粒间的电磁场增强。同时采用浓度为10-6 mol·L-1的罗丹明6G (R6G)水溶液作为探针分子,对转移了石墨烯的GE/AgNPs复合基底和未转移石墨烯的Ag纳米颗粒基底进行了SERS稳定性实验。结果表明GE/AgNPs复合基底在1~33 d内衰减较缓慢,30 d后仍能探测到拉曼信号约为原来信号的35.1%~40.6%;而纯Ag基底上随着Ag纳米颗粒在空气中迅速氧化,基底的SERS性能显著下降,在30 d后只有原来信号的5.9%~11.3%。此外,通过实验得到覆盖了石墨烯之后的增强因子约为6.05×105。最后采用时域有限差分算法（FDTD）计算了复合结构的电磁场分布和理论增强因子,其理论增强因子可以达到5.7×105。实验和仿真结果的差异,主要是源于石墨烯的化学增强作用。     

SERS activity of carbon nanotubes modified by silver nanoparticles with different particle sizes

A two-dimensional (2D) surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate is fabricated by decorating carbon nanotube (CNT) films with Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) in different sizes, via simple and low-cost chemical reduction method and self-assembling method. The change of Raman and SERS activity of carbon nanotubes/Ag nanoparticles (CNTs/AgNPs) composites with varying size of AgNPs are investigated by using rhodamine 6G (R6G) as a probe molecule. Meanwhile, the scattering cross section of AgNPs and the distribution of electric field of CNTs/AgNPs composite are simulated through finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) wavelength is redshifted as the size of AgNPs increases, and the intensity of SERS and electric field increase with AgNPs size increasing. The experiment and simulation results show a Raman scattering enhancement factor (EF) of 10⁸ for the hybrid substrate.     

Cobalt Based Nanoparticles Embedded Reduced Graphene Oxide Aerogel for Hydrogen Evolution Electrocatalyst

Efficient water electrolysis catalyst is highly demanded for the production of hydrogen as a sustainable energy fuel. It is reported that cobalt derived nanoparticle (CoS₂, CoP, CoS|P) decorated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite aerogel catalysts for highly active and reliable hydrogen evolution reaction electrocatalysts. 7 nm level cobalt derived nanoparticles are synthesized over graphene aerogel surfaces with excellent surface coverage and maximal expose of active sites. CoS|P/rGO hybrid aerogel composites show an excellent catalytic activity with overpotential of ≈169 mV at a current density of ≈10 mA cm^?2. Accordingly, efficient charge transfer is attained with Tafel slope of ≈52 mV dec^?1 and a charge transfer resistance (R_ct) of ≈12 Ω. This work suggests a viable route toward ultrasmall, uniform nanoparticles decorated graphene surfaces with well‐controlled chemical compositions, which can be generally useful for various applications commonly requiring large exposure of active surface area as well as robust interparticle charger transfer.     

Synthesis of rGO–Ag nanoparticles for high-performance SERS and the adsorption geometry of 2-mercaptobenzimidazole on Ag surface

The sliver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with diameters of 30～50 nm were self-assembled onto the surfaces of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets simply by mixing AgNO₃ aqueous solution and GO dispersion via a synchronous reduction process. Structure and morphology of the rGO–AgNPs hybrids were well characterized. More significantly, the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectrum of 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (MBI) adsorbed on the solid rGO–AgNPs surface shown that the rGO–AgNPs system gives a very strong SERS intensity at in-plane vibrational modes in comparison to the out-of-plane vibrational modes. This large enhancement effect is most likely a result of charge-transfer (CT) mechanism. Based on the surface selection rules and the information provided by the highly enhanced in-plane vibrational modes, it can be found that MBI molecule was adsorbed on AgNPs surface as a thiol form via the sulphur and nitrogen atoms with a slightly tilted geometric conformation.     

Nanostructured substrate with nanoparticles fabricated by femtosecond laser for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

A simple and fast method to fabricate nanostructured substrates with silver nanoparticles over a large area for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is reported. The method involves two steps: (1) dip the substrate into a silver nitrate solution for a few minutes, remove the substrate from the solution, and then air dry and (2) process the silver nitrate coated substrate by femtosecond (fs) laser pulses in air. The second step can create silver nanoparticles distributed on the nanostructured surface of the substrate by the photoreduction of fs multiphoton effects. This study demonstrates that an enhancement factor (EF) greater than 5×10⁵, measured by 10⁻⁶ M Rhodamine 6G solution, can be achieved. The proposed technique can be used to integrate the SERS capability into a microchip for biomedical and chemical analysis.     

Fabrication of uniform substrate based on silver nanoparticles decorated glycidyl methacrylate‐ethylene dimethacrylate porous material for ultrasensitive surface‐enhanced Raman scattering detection

Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) in practical application and theoretical research mostly depends on the performance of the SERS substrate. In this study, a new SERS substrate which is based on inverted self‐assembly of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) on glycidyl methacrylate‐ethylene dimethacrylate (GMA‐EDMA) porous material is developed. The characterization results show the GMA‐EDMA material with intertwined pores may contribute to the distribution of the AgNPs to fabricate an ideal substrate for SERS detection. In view of the characteristics of porous material, an inverted assembly method is proposed and used in operation to avoid the adverse gravity effect which may make the AgNPs plug up the pore channel and distribute on the surface unevenly. By the inverted self‐assembly method, the AgNPs could uniformly distribute on the surface of the material stably. The prepared substrate presents ultrasensitivity and good reproducibility for SERS detection. The enhancement factor of rhodamine 6G (R6G) detection is approximately 10¹⁴ and the relative standard deviation of each characteristic peak is about 15% when the substrate is used. The substrate also shows a good performance in detecting paraquat and thymine. The ultrasensitive SERS substrate can be readily integrated into pesticide detection systems and biological sample analysis. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

纳米银/石墨烯复合SERS基底的制备及对铀(Ⅵ)的拉曼光谱研究

铀是核工业中一种重要的核燃料,研究其在水溶液中的浓度和种态信息具有重要意义。铀(Ⅵ)在水溶液中最稳定的存在形式UO2+₂,其标准Raman散射峰为871 cm-1。然而利用表面增强拉曼散射(SERS)技术检测铀(Ⅵ)时,铀(Ⅵ)与SERS基底的直接相互作用,使得铀(Ⅵ)的Raman峰存在很大程度的偏移,甚至偏移到710 cm-1。使用不同的SERS基底,其偏移程度也不同,无法反映溶液中铀(Ⅵ)的真实Raman信息,为解析溶液中铀(Ⅵ)的种态带来了很大困难。通过抗坏血酸活化银纳米粒子(AgNPs),在硅衬底上自组装AgNPs阵列,得到SERS基底。利用石墨烯介质隔层的化学惰性和完整性,通过悬空自助转移法在该自组装AgNPs SERS基底表面转移单层石墨烯,制备了纳米银/石墨烯复合SERS基底。并表征了该复合SERS基底的形貌,AgNPs粒子紧密连接在一起,形成纳米链结构,纳米链均匀地分布于衬底表面,单层石墨烯紧密覆盖于AgNPs表面,且石墨烯的亚纳米级厚度没有改变AgNPs的形貌。将这两类SERS基底用于检测硝酸铀酰,对于未覆盖石墨烯的AgNPs基底,UO2+₂的对称伸缩振动峰为719 cm-1,基底与UO2+₂的相互作用导致谱峰宽化,并向低波数移动。而在覆盖了石墨烯的G-AgNPs复合SERS基底表面,UO2+₂的对称伸缩振动峰为771 cm-1,回移了52 cm-1,这种大幅度的回移表明石墨烯隔层在一定程度上隔绝了UO2+₂与AgNPs的相互作用。     

Self‐assembled silver nanoparticle monolayer on glassy carbon: an approach to SERS substrate

In this paper, the fabrication of an active surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate by self‐assembled silver nanoparticles on a monolayer of 4‐aminophenyl‐group‐modified glassy carbon (GC) is reported. Silver nanoparticles are attached to the substrate through the electrostatic force between the negatively charged silver nanoparticles and the positively charged 4‐aminophenyl groups on GC. The active SERS substrate has been characterized by means of tapping‐mode atomic force microscopy (AFM), indicating that large quantities of silver nanoparticles are uniformly coated on the substrate. Rhodamine 6G (R6G) and p‐aminothiophenol (p‐ATP) are used as the probe molecules for SERS, resulting in high sensitivity to the SERS response, with the detection limit reaching as low as 10⁻⁹ M . This approach is easily controlled and reproducible, and more importantly, can extend the range of usable substrates to carbon‐based materials for SERS with high sensitivity. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of indium–silver bimetallic nanocomposites for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

We report on the synthesis of indium–silver bimetallic nanocomposites by chemical reduction method under atmospheric condition and their activity for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). It is found that the indium–silver bimetallic nanocomposites have better SERS activity with larger enhancement factors (EF) than pure silver nanoparticles with similar size. The SERS EF can reach 10⁷ for 4-mercaptobenzoic acid and 10⁹ for crystal violet and rhodamine 6G adsorbed on the nanocomposites and the detection limits can be at least down to 10^?7 and 10^?10 M, respectively. The results demonstrate that the indium–silver bimetallic nanocomposites are promising as SERS substrate for a myriad of chemical and biological sensing applications.     

Preparation of silver nanoparticles on zinc oxide nanowires by photocatalytic reduction for use in surface‐enhanced Raman scattering measurements

To increase the sensitivity in surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) measurements, the high surface area of zinc oxide nanowires (ZnO NWs) was used. ZnO NWs on silicon substrates were prepared and used as substrates for further growth of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation was used to reduce silver ions to AgNPs on the ZnO wires. With proper growth conditions for both ZnO NWs and AgNPs, the substrates exhibit SERS enhancement factors greater than 10⁶. To understand the influences of the morphologies of the ZnO NWs on the growth of AgNPs, the growing time and temperature were varied. The concentration of silver nitrate and irradiation time of UV radiation were also varied. The resulting AgNPs were probed with para‐nitrothiophenol to quantify the SERS enhancements obtained from the varying conditions. The results indicate that ZnO NWs could be grown at temperatures higher than 490 °C and higher growth temperatures result in smaller diameter of the formed ZnO NWs. Also, the morphologies of ZnO NWs did not significantly alter the SERS signals. The concentration of silver nitrate affects the SERS signals significantly and the optimal concentration was found to be in the range of 10–20 mM. With irradiation times longer than 90 s, the resulting AgNPs showed similar SERS intensities. With optimized conditions, the AgNPs/ZnO substrates are highly suitable for SERS measurements with a typical enhancement factor of higher than 10⁶. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

New SERS feature of β‐carotene: consequences for quantitative SERS analysis

While recording SERS spectra of pure β‐carotene at sub‐micromole concentrations for reference purpose, we discovered an unusual spectral response never reported before. In pre‐resonance conditions with the 532‐nm line, SERS of β‐carotene with AgNPs exhibits among the strong υ(CC) mode at 1512 cm⁻¹ unshifted from normal Raman spectrum, additional strong bands at 1649, 1575 and 1387 cm⁻¹ as well as other medium bands not observed in the Raman spectrum of the crystalline powder. Such behavior is explained in terms of selection rules relaxation upon cyclohexene terminal rings of the β‐carotene interaction with the NP surface. AFM images of the SERS system suggested dimers and trimers clustering of the nanoparticles with adsorbed β‐carotene. In light of the new SERS feature the consequences in correct interpretation of the SERS imaging from complex biosystems containing carotenoids are discussed. Relative intensity ratio of the β‐carotene band at 1512 cm⁻¹ and water against concentration allowed a reliable SERS calibration curve for 50 to 500 nmol l⁻¹ concentration range and provided quantitative SERS assessment of the carotenoid content in the sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus) gonads extracts. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of calixarene to high active surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates suitable for in situ detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in seawater

The characteristics of the sol–gel matrix embedding Ag nanoparticles functionalized with 25,27‐dimercaptoacetic acid‐26,28‐dihydroxy‐4‐tert‐butylcalix[4]arene (DMCX) suitable for the in situ detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in seawater is presented. The DMCX‐functionalized silver nanoparticles were produced by the thermal reduction method in xerogel film. The silver colloid blocks were formed in the sol–gel matrix, with a diameter ranging from 50 to 120 nm. DMCX forming the monolayer on the silver nanoparticle surface contributes to the surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity due to the aggregation of silver nanoparticles and the preconcentration of PAH molecules within the zone of electromagnetic enhancement. When selected, PAH molecules e.g. pyrene and naphthalene were adsorbed onto the SERS substrate; Raman band positions of PAH were slightly shifted. A calibration procedure reveals that this type of SERS substrate has a limit of detection of 3 × 10⁻¹⁰ mol/l for pyrene and 13 × 10⁻⁹ mol/l for naphthalene in artificial seawater. The Raman signal response on a pyrene concentration change in artificial seawater was evaluated using a 671‐nm Raman setup with a flow‐through cell. This type of SERS substrate will be suitable for the in situ trace detection of pollutant chemicals in seawater. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fabrication and characterization of SERS‐active silver clusters on glassy carbon

In this article, a novel technique for the fabrication of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) active silver clusters on glassy carbon (GC) has been proposed. It was found that silver clusters could be formed on a layer of positively charged poly(diallyldimethylammonium) (PDDA) anchored to a carbon surface by 4‐aminobenzoic acid when a drop containing silver nanoparticles was deposited on it. The characteristics of the obtained silver clusters have been investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), SERS and an SERS‐based Raman mapping technique in the form of line scanning. The AFM image shows that the silver clusters consist of several silver nanoparticles and the size of the clusters is in the range 80–100 nm. The SERS spectra of different concentrations of rhodamine 6G (R6G) on the silver clusters were obtained and compared with those from a silver colloid. The apparent enhancement factor (AEF) was estimated to be as large as 3.1 × 10⁴ relative to silver colloid, which might have resulted from the presence of ‘hot‐spots’ at the silver clusters, providing a highly localized electromagnetic field for the large enhancement of the SERS spectra of R6G. The minimum electromagnetic enhancement factor (EEF) is estimated to be 5.4 × 10⁷ by comparison with the SERS spectra of R6G on the silver clusters and on the bare GC surface. SERS‐based Raman mapping technique in the form of line scanning further illustrates the good SERS activity and reproducibility on the silver clusters. Finally, 4‐mercaptopyridine (4‐Mpy) was chosen as an analyte and the lowest detected concentration was investigated by the SERS‐active silver clusters. A concentration of 1.6 × 10⁻¹⁰ M 4‐Mpy could be detected with the SERS‐active silver clusters, showing the great potential of the technique in practical applications of microanalysis with high sensitivity. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An effective surface-enhanced Raman scattering template based on gold nanoparticle/silicon nanowire arrays

A large-scale Si nanowire array （SiNWA） is fabricated with gold （Au） nanoparticles by simple metal-assisted chemical etching and metal reduction processes. The three-dimensional nanostructured Au/SiNWA is evaluated as an active substrate for surface-enhanced Raman scattering （SERS）. The results show that the detection limit for rhodamine 6G is as low as 10-7 M, and the Raman enhancement factor is as large as 105 with a relative standard deviation of less than 25%. After the calibration of the Raman peak intensifies of rhodamine 6G and thiram, organic molecules could be quantitatively detected. These results indicate that Au/SiNWA is a promising SERS-active substrate for the detection of biomolecules present in low concentrations. Our findings are an important advance in SERS substrates to allow fast and quantitative detection of trace organic contaminants.     

石墨烯-银纳米颗粒复合结构制备工艺优化及表面增强拉曼光谱特性

在石墨烯-Ag纳米颗粒复合结构表面增强拉曼散射（SERS）基底常规制备工艺的基础上,提出了采用偶联剂吸附的方法来改善Ag纳米颗粒在目标基底上分布的均匀性;采用双层聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯（PMMA）来转移石墨烯,以减少石墨烯表面的缺陷;采用退火处理的方法来降低SERS基底的拉曼背景噪声,从而提高拉曼光谱的对比度。实验结果表明,采用优化制备工艺得到的复合结构SERS基底均匀性有较大提高,石墨烯G峰和2D峰的增强拉曼光谱对比度分别提高了54.9%和64.3%,罗丹明6G（R6G）分子在774和1 363 cm-1处的拉曼光谱强度随浓度变化关系的拟合优度（R2）分别达到了0.997 5和0.986 7。     

Raman scattering of L‐tryptophan enhanced by surface plasmon of silver nanoparticles: vibrational assignment and structural determination

Vibrational bands of L ‐tryptophan which was adsorbed on Ag nanoparticles (∼10 nm in diameter) have been investigated in the spectral range of 200–1700 cm⁻¹ using surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. Compared with the normal Raman scattering (NRS) of L ‐tryptophan in either 0.5 M aqueous solution (NRS‐AS) or solid powder (NRS‐SP), the intensified signals by SERS have made the SERS investigation at a lower molecular concentration (5 × 10⁻⁴ M ) possible. Ab initio calculations at the B3LYP/6‐311G level have been carried out to predict the optimal structure and vibrational wavenumbers for the zwitterionic form of L ‐tryptophan. Facilitated with the theoretical prediction, the observed vibrational modes of L ‐tryptophan in the NRS‐AS, NRS‐SP, and SERS spectra have been analyzed. In the spectroscopic observations, there are no significant changes for the vibrational bands of the indole ring in either NRS‐AS, NRS‐SP, or SERS. In contrast, spectral intensities involving the vibrations of carboxylate and amino groups are weak in NRS‐AS and NRS‐SP, but strong in SERS. The intensity enhancement in the SERS spectrum can reach 10³–10⁴‐fold magnification. On the basis of spectroscopic analysis, the carboxylate and amino groups of L ‐tryptophan are determined to be the preferential terminal groups to attach onto the surfaces of Ag nanoparticles in the SERS measurement. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering characteristics of CuO : Mn/Ag heterojunction probed by methyl orange: effect of Mn2+ doping

Interest in the synthesis of hybrid substrates for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has surged recently. Hereof, in the present work, a hybrid SERS substrate CuO : Mn/Ag heterojunction has been synthesised. To accomplish this, the nanostructred Ag island film and CuO : Mn nanoparticles are synthesised by vacuum thermal evaporation method and sol–gel method respectively, and thereafter, a heterojunction between the CuO : Mn and Ag is fabricated by adsorption of CuO : Mn (10^‐3 m in ethanol) on Ag island film. Further, the SERS sensitivity of CuO : Mn/Ag heterojunctions has been studied by probing methyl orange. We observed that with Mn‐doping in the lattice of CuO, the SERS signal is enhanced considerably because of ferromagnetic ordering in CuO : Mn. DFT/B3LYP/6‐311 G(d, p) method is used to calculate the energy of HOMO and LUMO level of methyl orange. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Photochemical decoration of silver nanoparticles on ZnO nanowires as a three‐dimensional substrate for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering measurement

To increase the sensitivity in surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) measurement, a three‐dimensional (3D) SERS substrate was prepared by the decoration of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the side walls of ZnO nanowires. The prepared 3D SERS substrates provide the advantages of highly loaded density of AgNPs, with a large specific surface area to interact with analytes, and the ease for the analytes to access the surfaces of AgNPs. To prepare the substrates, ZnO nanowires were first grown on a glass plate by wet chemical method. By treating SnCl₂ on the surfaces of ZnO nanowires, Ag seeds could be formed on the side wall of the ZnO nanowires, which were further grown to a suitable size for SERS measurements via photochemical reduction. To optimize and understand the influences of the parameters used in preparation of the substrates, the reaction conditions were systematically adjusted and examined. Results indicated that AgNPs could be successfully decorated on the side wall of the ZnO nanowires only by the assistances of SnCl₂. The size and density of AgNPs were affected by both the concentration of silver nitrate and the irradiation time. With optimized condition, the prepared 3D substrates provided an enhancement factor approaching 7 orders of magnitude compared with conventional Raman intensity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

SERS activity of pulsed laser ablated silver thin films with controlled nanostructure

The surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity of silver thin films deposited by the pulsed laser ablation technique was investigated. The samples were grown in a controlled Ar atmosphere at pressures ranging between 10 and 70 Pa, and changing the number of laser pulses. Different surface morphologies, from isolated nearly spherical nanoparticles (NPs) to larger islands with smooth edges, were observed by means of scanning and transmission electron microscopies, as a function of the different deposition conditions adopted. SERS measurements were performed by soaking the samples in rhodamine 6G aqueous solutions over the concentration range between 1.0 × 10⁻⁴ and 5.0 × 10⁻⁸ M . Raman spectra were acquired using both the 632.8 and 514.5 nm excitation sources. The dependence of the SERS activity of the samples on the observed surface morphology is presented and discussed. The presence of the so called hot spots is envisaged. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.