Silver Nanoparticle Thin Films with Nanocavities for Surface‐Enhanced Raman Scattering

The formation of nanometer‐sized gaps between silver nanoparticles is critically important for optimal enhancement in surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). A simple approach is developed to generate nanometer‐sized cavities in a silver nanoparticle thin film for use as a SERS substrate with extremely high enhancement. In this method, a submicroliter volume of concentrated silver colloidal suspension stabilized with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) is spotted on hydrophobic glass surfaces prepared by the exposure of the glass to dichloromethysilane vapors. The use of a hydrophobic surface helps the formation of a more uniform silver nanoparticle thin film, and CTAB acts as a molecular spacer to keep the silver nanoparticles at a distance. A series of CTAB concentrations is investigated to optimize the interparticle distance and aggregation status. The silver nanoparticle thin films prepared on regular and hydrophobic surfaces are compared. Rhodamine 6G is used as a probe to characterize the thin films as SERS substrates. SERS enhancement without the contribution of the resonance of the thin film prepared on the hydrophobic surface is calculated as 2×10⁷ for rhodamine 6G, which is about one order of magnitude greater than that of the silver nanoparticle aggregates prepared with CTAB on regular glass surfaces and two orders of magnitude greater than that of the silver nanoparticle aggregates prepared without CTAB on regular glass surfaces. A hydrophobic surface and the presence of CTAB have an increased effect on the charge‐transfer component of the SERS enhancement mechanism. The limit of detection for rhodamine 6G is estimated as 1.0×10^?8 M . Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy are used for the characterization of the prepared substrate.     

Novel Silver/Poly(vinyl alcohol) Nanocomposites for Surface‐Enhanced Raman Scattering‐Active Substrates

Summary: Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)‐active substrates with high enhancement were prepared by an in situ reduction method. Novel silver/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanocomposite films were obtained, in which the silver nitrate, poly(γ‐glutamic acid) (PGA), and PVA acted as precursor, stabilizer, and polyol reducant, respectively. The UV‐visible spectra of the as‐fabricated films showed that the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption band was narrow and of a stronger intensity, which indicates that the Ag nanoparticle size distribution on the substrate was highly uniform. This finding was further confirmed by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and field‐emission scanning electron microscope (FE‐SEM) measurements. It was found that a PGA‐stabilized PVA nanocomposite film revealed the presence of well‐dispersed spherical silver nanoparticles with an average diameter of 90 nm. The new substrate presents high SERS enhancement and the enhanced factor is estimated to be 10⁶ for the detection of benzoic acid.

The Raman scattering enhancement factor for the Raman spectra of benzoic acid on the various nanocomposite films.     

3D aluminum/silver hierarchical nanostructure with large areas of dense hot spots for surface‐enhanced raman scattering

Plasmonic nanomaterials possessing large‐volume, high‐density hot spots with high field enhancement are highly desirable for ultrasensitive surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing. However, many as‐prepared plasmonic nanomaterials are limited in available dense hot spots and in sample size, which greatly hinder their wide applications in SERS devices. Here, we develop a two‐step physical deposition protocol and successfully fabricate 3D hierarchical nanostructures with highly dense hot spots across a large scale (6 × 6 cm²). The nanopatterned aluminum film was first prepared by thermal evaporation process, which can provide 3D quasi‐periodic cloud‐like nanostructure arrays suitable for noble metal deposition; then a large number of silver nanoparticles with controllable shape and size were decorated onto the alumina layer surfaces by laser molecular beam epitaxy, which can realize large‐area accessible dense hot spots. The optimized 3D‐structured SERS substrate exhibits high‐quality detection performance with excellent reproducibility (13.1 and 17.1%), whose LOD of rhodamine 6G molecules was 10^?9 M. Furthermore, the as‐prepared 3D aluminum/silver SERS substrate was applied in detection of melamine with the concentration down to 10^?7 M and direct detection of melamine in infant formula solution with the concentration as low 10 mg/L. Such method to realize large‐area hierarchical nanostructures can greatly simplify the fabrication procedure for 3D SERS platforms, and should be of technological significance in mass production of SERS‐based sensors.     

Ultrasensitive SERS Detection of TNT by Imprinting Molecular Recognition Using a New Type of Stable Substrate

We report herein a method for the ultra‐trace detection of TNT on p‐aminothiophenol‐functionalized silver nanoparticles coated on silver molybdate nanowires based on surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The method relies on π‐donor–acceptor interactions between the π‐acceptor TNT and the π‐donor p,p′‐dimercaptoazobenzene (DMAB), with the latter serving to cross‐link the silver nanoparticles deposited on the silver molybdate nanowires. This system presents optimal imprint molecule contours, with the DMAB forming imprint molecule sites that constitute SERS “hot spots”. Anchoring of the TNT analyte at these sites leads to a pronounced intensification of its Raman emission. We demonstrate that TNT concentrations as low as 10^?12 M can be accurately detected using the described SERS assay. Most impressively, acting as a new type of SERS substrate, the silver/silver molybdate nanowires complex can yield new silver nanoparticles during the detection process, which makes the Raman signals very stable. A detailed mechanism for the observed SERS intensity change is discussed. Our experiments show that TNT can be detected quickly and accurately with ultra‐high sensitivity, selectivity, reusability, and stability. The results reported herein may not only lead to many applications in SERS techniques, but might also form the basis of a new concept for a molecular imprinting strategy.     

利用去湿现象制备具有SERS活性的银纳米粒子图案

构建了具有表面增强拉曼散射(SERS)活性的二维有序环状与盘状的银纳米粒子结构, 利用CTAB包覆银纳米粒子的氯仿溶液直接在图案化的金基底上进行去湿, 当改变银纳米粒子的浓度时可以得到不同的图案. 利用原子力显微镜(AFM)对其结构进行了表征, 以4-巯基吡啶作为探针分子, 采用表面增强拉曼成像技术研究了这种基底的SERS活性, 这将为SERS的研究开拓新的领域.     

Enhancement mechanism of SERS from cyanine dyes adsorbed on Ag2O colloids

Surface enhancement mechanism of Raman scattering from molecules adsorbed on silver oxide colloids is reported. Absorption spectra and Raman spectra of the cyanine dye D266 and pyridine molecules adsorbed on Ag₂O colloids, and the influences of S₂O₃²⁻ and OH⁻ on the SERS are studied respectively. The results indicate that ‘chemical' enhancement is dominant in Ag₂O colloidal solution. Surface complexes of adsorbed molecules and small silver ion clusters Ag_n⁺ as the SERS active sites make an important contribution to surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). At these active sites, charge transfer between the adsorbed molecules and the small silver ion clusters is the main enhancement origin. The enhancement factor of D266 adsorbed on Ag₂O colloids is theoretically estimated with the excited-state charge transfer model, which is roughly in accordance with the experiments.     

用表面增强拉曼散射研究电解法制备的纳米银膜

用一种廉价的电解方法制备了纳米银膜,并详细研究了在这种银膜上的表面增强拉曼散射效果．结晶紫为本实验的检测性分子．通过实验发现,这种银膜用便携式拉曼光谱仪测试并计算出的表面增强拉曼散射的增强因子为603,并对结晶紫的最小检出限为0．1nmol／L．     

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering of single- and few-layer graphene by the deposition of gold nanoparticles

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of graphene on a SiO(2)(300 nm)/Si substrate was investigated by depositing Au nanoparticles using thermal evaporation. This provided a maximum enhancement of 120 times for single-layer graphene at 633 nm excitation. SERS spectra and scan images of single-layer and few-layer graphene were acquired. Single-layer graphene provides much larger SERS enhancement compared to few-layer graphene, while in single-layer graphene the enhancement of the G band was larger than that of the 2D band. Furthermore, the D bands were identified in the SERS spectra; these bands were not observed in a normal Raman spectrum without Au deposition. Appearance of the D band is ascribed to the considerable SERS enhancement and not to an Au deposition-induced defect. Lastly, SERS enhancement of graphene on a transparent glass substrate was compared with that on the SiO(2)(300 nm)/Si substrate to exclude enhancement by multiple reflections between the Si substrate and deposited Au nanoparticles. The contribution of multiple reflections to total enhancement on the SiO(2)(300 nm)/Si substrate was 1.6 times out of average SERS enhancement factor, 71 times.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Silver Nanoparticle Modified 3-Aminophenol Resin Microspheres with Application for Determination of Carcinoembryonic Antigens by Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

Uniform phenolic resin microspheres were prepared by the polycondensation of 3-aminophenol and formaldehyde. On the surface of the 3-aminophenol resin microspheres, silver nanoparticles were synthesized in situ and immobilized by simple heating. The composite was employed as a substrate for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The SERS enhancement factor was evaluated using 4-mercaptobenzoic acid and Nile blue A as signal molecules. A highly sensitive SERS immunoassay that combined labeled antibody conjugated silver nanoparticle modified 3-aminophenol resin microspheres and coating antibody conjugated magnetic nanoparticles was fabricated to determine carcinoembryonic antigen. A linear relationship was obtained between the Raman intensity and the concentration of carcinoembryonic antigen. The limit of detection was 1.2 picograms per milliliter at a signal-to-noise ratio of three. This is believed to be the first report of a SERS immunoassay using silver nanoparticle modified 3-aminophenol resin microspheres as substrates.     

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering of 4-aminobenzenethiol on silver nanoparticles substrate

Active surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) silver nanoparticles substrate was prepared by multiple depositions of Ag nanoparticles on glass slides. The substrate is based on five depositions of Ag nanoparticles on 3-aminopropyl-trimetoxisilane (APTMS) modified glass slides, using APTMS sol–gel as linker molecules between silver layers. The SERS performance of the substrate was investigated using 4-aminobenzenethiol (4-ABT) as Raman probe molecule. The spectral analyses reveal a 4-ABT Raman signal enhancement of band intensities, which allow the detection of this compound in different solutions. The average SERS intensity decreases significantly in 4-ABT diluted solutions (from 10⁻⁴ to 10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹), but the compound may still be detected with high signal/noise ratio. The obtained results demonstrate that the Ag nanoparticles sensor has a great potential as SERS substrate.     

Multilayer Substrate‐Mediated Tuning Resonance of Plasmon and SERS EF of Nanostructured Silver

A thin‐film of dielectric on a reflecting surface constituting a multilayer substrate modulates light intensity due to the interference effect. A nanostructure consisting of randomly oriented silver particles of different shapes, sizes, and interparticle spacings supports multiple plasmon resonances and is observed to have a broad extinction spectrum that spans the entire visible region. Combining the two systems by fabricating the nanostructure on the thin‐dielectric film of the multilayer substrate yields a new composite structure which is observed to modulate both the extinction spectrum and the SERS EF (surface enhanced Raman scattering enhancement factor) of the nanostructure as the thickness of the thin‐film dielectric is varied. The frequency and intensity of the visible extinction spectrum vary dramatically with the dielectric thickness and in the intermediate thickness range the spectrum has no visible band. The SERS EF determined for the composite structure as a function of the thin‐film dielectric thickness varies by several orders of magnitude. Strong correlation between the magnitude of the SERS EF and the extinction intensity is observed over the entire dielectric thickness range indicating that the extinction spectrum corresponds to the excitation of the plasmon resonances of the nanostructure. A significant finding which has potential applications is that the composite structure has synergic effect to boost SERS EF of the nanostructure by an order of magnitude or more compared to the same nanostructure on an unlayered substrate.     

Porosity‐Controlled Eggshell Membrane as 3D SERS‐Active Substrate

We report on the fabrication of a surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) platform, comprised of a three‐dimensional (3D) porous eggshell membrane (ESM) scaffold decorated with Ag nanoparticles (NPs). Both native and treated ESM were used, where the treated ESM pore size and fiber crossing density was controlled by timed exposure to hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Ag NPs were synthesized in situ by reduction of silver nitrate with ascorbic acid. Our results demonstrate that H₂O₂‐treated Ag‐ESM provides a more densely packed 3D network of active material, which leads to consistently higher SERS enhancement than untreated Ag‐ESM substrates.     

水汽界面二维银颗粒表面上的单分子拉曼光谱检测

随着各种超灵敏分析仪器的发展 ,已经可以在低温固体中、室温液体中和电介质表面检测、鉴定单分子及其动力学行为 .这种新进展为科学家在分析化学、分子生物学和纳米结构材料等各种学科的应用开辟了许多新的视窗 .单分子谱学的研究在基础科学和应用科学方面引起了人们广泛的兴趣 .人们不仅希望能够“看到”单分子 ,而且希望了解单分子的物理化学行为 .在各种超灵敏检测技术中 ,拉曼光谱成为一种重要的技术 .由于原子力显微等微区技术的发展 ,并结合高灵敏度检测技术的进步 ,拉曼光谱已经发展成为一种检测灵敏度可以达到分子级的检测技术 [1,…     

Long‐Term Stable Silver Subsurface Ion‐Exchanged Glasses for SERS Applications

We report on the formation of silver subsurface ion‐exchanged metal oxide (silver SIMO) glasses and their surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity. The samples were prepared by a combined thermal and chemical three‐step methodology and characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), environmental electron scanning microscopy (ESEM), and UV/Vis spectroscopy. This unique method provides SERS substrates with protection against contamination and strong, reliable and reproducible SERS enhancement. The Raman enhancement factors of the long‐term stable SIMO glasses were estimated to approximately 10⁷.     

Novel Bottom‐Up SERS Substrates for Quantitative and Parallelized Analytics

Surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an emerging technology in the field of analytics. Due to the high sensitivity in connection with specific Raman molecular fingerprint information SERS can be used in a variety of analytical, bioanalytical, and biosensing applications. However, for the SERS effect substrates with metal nanostructures are needed. The broad application of this technology is greatly hampered by the lack of reliable and reproducible substrates. Usually the activity of a given substrate has to be determined by time‐consuming experiments such as calibration or ultramicroscopic studies. To use SERS as a standard analytical tool, cheap and reproducible substrates are required, preferably with a characterization technique that does not interfere with the subsequent measurements. Herein we introduce an innovative approach to produce low‐cost and large‐scale reproducible substrates for SERS applications, which allows easy and economical production of micropatterned SERS active surfaces on a large scale. This approach is based on an enzyme‐induced growth of silver nanostructures. The special structural feature of the enzymatically deposited silver nanoparticles prevents the breakdown of SERS activity even at high particle densities (particle density >60 %) that lead to a conductive layer. In contrast to other approaches, this substrate exhibits a relationship between electrical conductivity and the resulting SERS activity of a given spot. This enables the prediction of the SERS activity of the nanostructure ensemble and therewith the controllable and reproducible production of SERS substrates of enzymatic silver nanoparticles on a large scale, utilizing a simple measurement of the electrical conductivity. Furthermore, through a correlation between the conductivity and the SERS activity of the substrates it is possible to quantify SERS measurements with these substrates.     

有序Au/Ag纳米碗阵列的简易制备及其表面增强拉曼散射性能

通过湿法化学合成基于SiO₂胶体晶体的大面积有序Au/Ag纳米碗(Au/AgNB)阵列。首先,在玻璃基板上组装3D SiO₂胶体晶体作为模板。然后,以Au纳米颗粒(AuNP)为种子,通过原位生长法在SiO₂模板上沉积一层Au纳米壳(AuNS)。再通过HCHO还原Ag⁺成Ag⁰,进一步在AuNS表面沉积Ag纳米壳,形成Ag/Au双纳米壳(Ag/AuNS)阵列。最后通过丙烯酸酯改性双向取向聚丙烯(BOPP)膜方便地获得了单层有序反转Ag/AuNB阵列。这种有序Au/AgNB阵列具有更佳的表面增强拉曼散射(SERS)活性,其SERS分析增强因子(AEF)可达2.23×10⁷。     

Gas-Phase Deposited Plasmonic Nanoparticles Supported on 3D-Graphene/Nickel Foam for Highly SERS Detection

In this work, we proposed a novel three-dimensional (3D) plasmonic nanostructure based on porous graphene/nickel foam (GNF) and gas-phase deposited Ag nanoparticles (NPs).Ag NPs with high density were directly deposited on the surface of 3D GNF by performing a novel cluster beam deposition approach. In comparison with traditional Ag substrate(SiO₂/Ag), such hot-spots enriched 3D nanostructure showed extremely high electromag-netic field enhancement under incident light irradiation which could be used as a sensitive chemical sensor based on surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed nanostructure showed superior SERS performance in terms of Raman signal reproducibility and sensitivity for the probe molecules. 3D full-wave simulation showed that the enhanced SERS performance in this 3D hierarchical plasmonic nanostructure was mainly obtained from the hot-spots between Ag NPs and the near-field coupling between Ag NPs and GNF sca olds. This work can provide a novel assembled SERS substrate as a SERS-based chemical sensor in practical applications.     

SERS and FDTD simulation of gold nanoparticles grafted on germanium wafer via galvanic displacement

Uniform and dense Au nanoparticles grown on Ge (Au/Ge) were fabricated by a facile galvanic displacement method and employed as surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates. The substrates exhibited excellent reproducibility in the detection of rhodamine 6G aqueous solution with a relative standard deviation of <20%. The substrate showed a high Raman enhancement factor of 3.44 × 10⁶. This superior SERS sensitivity was numerical confirmed by the three‐dimensional finite‐difference time‐domain method, which demonstrated a stronger electric field intensity (|E/E₀|²) distribution around the Au nanoparticles grown on Ge. This facile and low‐cost prepared Au/Ge substrate with high SERS sensitivity and reproducibility might have potential applications in monitoring in situ reaction in aqueous solution. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

银纳米粒子簇的设计、 制备和表面增强拉曼光谱

通过匹配激光光斑直径与胶体微球的尺寸, 设计制备了银纳米粒子的表面增强拉曼散射(SERS)基底, 并将其用于研究单个银纳米粒子簇的表面增强拉曼光谱. 在制备纳米粒子的过程中, 考察了等离子体刻蚀时间与银沉积厚度对“单”银纳米粒子结构与形貌的影响. 将吡啶、 巯基苯和罗丹明R6G作为SERS探针分子, 研究了其SERS效应, 通过荧光共振能量转移(FRET)机理, 实现了染料分子在单银纳米粒子簇上的SERS效应. SERS光谱测试与相关计算结果表明, 单个银纳米粒子簇的拉曼增强因子能够达到约10⁶.     

Sub-wavelength Raman spectroscopy on isolated silver islands

Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is a valuable analytical tool for the investigation of molecules adsorbed on roughened noble metal surfaces. The shape, size, and surrounding of the metal protrusions play an important role in the Raman scattering enhancement. By combining scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) with Raman spectroscopy the spatial resolution suffices for investigating isolated silver islands on SERS active substrates. We demonstrate an optical resolution below 70 nm for recording spectra on specifically prepared and fully characterized SERS substrates. For a quantitative evaluation of the SERS signal the spatial distribution of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) deposited on the SERS substrate was determined by friction force measurements. By comparing the Raman intensities of the SERS substrates with those of unmetallized support plates absolute SERS enhancement factors at specific locations on top and in the vicinity of the silver islands were determined directly.