Classification of single-molecule surface-enhanced resonance Raman spectra of Rhodamine 6G from isolated Ag colloidal particles by principal component analysis

Surface enhanced resonance Raman (SERR) spectra of Rhodamine 6G are measured from single isolated Ag particles and analyzed by using a chemometrics technique, principal component analysis (PCA). The Ag particles are incubated with various amounts of R6G yielding the ratio of Ag particles to R6G molecules from 1:1 to 1:1000. Acquired SERR spectra are considered due to a single or very few R6G molecules. PCA is used to determine the number of chemically distinguishable species that contribute to the measured SERR spectra. A simple clustering tool, score bi-plot, is then inspected on grouping of the SERR spectra. The spectra are found to be largely similar except for the variability in the intensity and position of the bands that is believed to be correlated with the lifetime of the strong enhancement at specific places on an Ag surface. The spectra from four different Ag particles carrying more than 1000 R6G molecules are, however, unambiguously separated. Different aspects of the applied data analysis method and physicochemical perspective of the results are discussed.     

碳纳米管@SiO2@Ag纳米复合材料的制备及其表面增强拉曼效应

本文以SiO₂为中间层,在多壁碳纳米管(MWCNTs)表面负载Ag纳米粒子,制备出CNTs@SiO₂@Ag纳米复合材料,并采用TEM、XRD、UV-Vis、XPS等对纳米复合材料的结构、形貌和成分进行了表征,同时对该纳米复合材料的表面增强拉曼散射(Surface-enhancedRamanscattering,SERS)效应进行了研究。结果显示,Ag纳米颗粒有效提高了CNTs的SERS活性,纳米复合材料的拉曼峰强度是单纯CNTs拉曼峰强的近5倍。进一步研究了吸附罗丹明6G生物染料分子的SERS光谱,结果表明R6G分子的拉曼信号的质量与强度得到显著提高。因此,所制备的CNTs@SiO₂@Ag纳米复合材料有望作为SERS的活性基底,应用于生物无损检测领域。     

碳纳米管@SiO_2@Ag纳米复合材料的制备及其表面增强拉曼效应

本文以SiO2为中间层,在多壁碳纳米管(MWCNTs)表面负载Ag纳米粒子,制备出CNTs@SiO2@Ag纳米复合材料,并采用TEM、XRD、UV-Vis、XPS等对纳米复合材料的结构、形貌和成分进行了表征,同时对该纳米复合材料的表面增强拉曼散射(Surface-enhanced Raman scattering,SERS)效应进行了研究。结果显示,Ag纳米颗粒有效提高了CNTs的SERS活性,纳米复合材料的拉曼峰强度是单纯CNTs拉曼峰强的近5倍。进一步研究了吸附罗丹明6G生物染料分子的SERS光谱,结果表明R6G分子的拉曼信号的质量与强度得到显著提高。因此,所制备的CNTs@SiO2@Ag纳米复合材料有望作为SERS的活性基底,应用于生物无损检测领域。     

SERS Enhancement on the Basis of Temperature‐Dependent Chemisorption: Microcalorimetric Evidence

The mechanism of surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is not very clear in view of the magnitude of the contribution of electromagnetic factor as well as the chemical mechanism. This report presents the extent of adsorption at different temperatures in terms of signal enhancements in SERS employing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) of various shapes as substrate and dye molecules, crystal violet or Rhodamine 6G, as model Raman probes. Initially, the SERS signal increases with increasing temperature until a maximum intensity is reached, before it gradually decreases with increasing temperature. This trend is independent of the shape of the Raman substrates and probes. However, the temperature at which maximum intensity is obtained may depend upon the nature of the Raman probe. The energetics involved in the chemisorption process between dye molecules and AgNPs were determined through isothermal titration calorimetry and their implications for the observed SERS signals were assessed. The maximum heat change occurred at the temperature at which the maximum signal enhancement in SERS was obtained and the enhanced interaction at optimum temperature was confirmed by absorption spectroscopy.     

Investigation of chemically modified barium titanate beads as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) active substrates for the detection of benzene thiol, 1,2-benzene dithiol, and rhodamine 6G

SERS active surfaces were prepared by depositing silver films using Tollen's reaction on to barium titanate beads. The SERS activity of the resulting surfaces was probed using two thiols (benzene thiol and 1,2-benzene dithiol) and rhodamine 6G. The intensity of the SERS signal for the three analytes was investigated as a function of silver deposition time. The results indicate that the SERS intensity increased with increasing thickness of the silver film until a maximum signal intensity was achieved; additional silver deposition resulted in a decrease in the SERS intensity for all of the studied molecules. SEM measurement of the Ag coated barium titanate beads, as a function of silver deposition time, indicate that maximum SERS intensity corresponded with the formation of atomic scale islands of silver nanoparticles. Complete silver coverage of the beads resulted in a decreased SERS signal and the most intense SERS signals were observed at deposition times of 30 min for the thiols and 20 min for rhodamine 6G.     

Facile synthesis of two-dimensional PA-Ag@C film for highly sensitive SERS detection

In this study, the surface of polyamide (PA) films are electrostatically deposited with the carbon-coated silver (Ag@C) nanoparticles, resulting in a two-dimensional (2D) PA-Ag@C film substrate. The TEM images demonstrate that the nanoparticles were successful synthesized. By adjusting the pH of the system, the core–shell structure and the 2D SERS substrate work together to improve the sensitivity, stability, and repeatability of the substrate to be used in complex real-world water samples. The SERS enhancement effect and substrate uniformity were determined using rhodamine 6G (R6G), crystal violet (CV), and malachite green (MG). The results indicate that the 2D PA-Ag@C film substrate in this study has the optimal Raman effect at a system pH of 6. Under ideal pH conditions, the R6G detection limit (LOD) is as low as 10⁻¹⁰ M (D2 attenuation), and the Raman signal intensity deviation of the same substrate is maintained within 9.49%. Overall, the Raman signal of probe molecule on the fabricated PA-Ag@C film possesses excellent sensitivity, repeatability, and stability.     

Self-assembled metal colloid films: two approaches for preparing new SERS active substrates

In this paper, we propose two new approaches for preparing active substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). In the first approach (method 1), one transfers AgI nanoparticles capped by negatively charged mercaptoacetic acid from a AgI colloid solution onto a quartz slide and then deoxidizes AgI to Ag nanoparticles on the substrate. The second approach (method 2) deoxidizes AgI to Ag nanoparticles in a colloid solution and then transfers the Ag nanoparticles capped by negatively charged mercaptoacetic acid onto a quartz slide. By transfer of the AgI/Ag nanoparticles from the colloid solutions to the solid substrates, the problem of instability of the colloid solutions can largely be overcome. The films thus prepared by both approaches retain the merits of metal colloid solutions while they discharge their shortcomings. Accordingly, the obtained Ag particle films are very suitable as SERS active substrates. SERS active substrates with different coverages can be formed in a layer-by-layer electrostatic assembly by exposing positively charged surfaces to the colloid solutions containing oppositely charged AgI/Ag nanoparticles. The SERS active substrates fabricated by the two novel methods have been characterized by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy. The results of AFM and UV-vis spectroscopy show that the Ag nanoparticles grow with the increase in the number of coverage and that most of them remain isolated even at high coverages. Consequently, the surface optical properties are dominated by the absorption due to the isolated Ag nanoparticles. The relationship between SERS intensity and surface morphology of the new active substrates has been investigated for Rhodamine 6G (R6G) adsorbed on them. It has been found that the SERS enhancement depends on the size and aggregation of the Ag particles on the substrates. Especially, we can obtain a stronger SERS signal from the substrate prepared by method 1, implying that for the metal nanoparticles capped with stabilizer molecules such as mercaptoacetic acid, the in situ deoxidization in the film is of great use in preparing SERS active substrates. Furthermore, we have found that the addition of Cl- into the AgI colloid solution changes the surface morphology of the SERS active substrates and favors stronger SERS enhancement.     

Ag/Si-NPA基底上共吸附R6G和CV的表面增强拉曼散射

以硅纳米孔柱阵列(Si-NPA)为基底, 采用浸渍沉积技术制备了具有较高表面增强拉曼散射(SERS)活性的Ag/Si-NPA衬底, 并采用扫描电子显微镜和透射电子显微镜对其表面形貌和结构进行了表征. 在此基础上, 选择罗丹明6G(R6G)和结晶紫(CV)2种生物染料分子并采用不同的混合吸附程序对其共吸附状态下的SERS光谱进行了探测. 结果表明, 当2种分子的溶液浓度均为10^-7 mol/L时, 无论采用何种浸渍吸附程序, 其SERS谱中CV的特征拉曼峰都被R6G完全掩盖. 对溶液采用错级配置(R6G和CV的浓度分别为10^-9和10^-7 mol/L)后, 所测SERS谱上获得了分别对应于R6G和CV的分离良好、相对强度匹配、分辨率高的2个SERS特征峰组, 从而有利于简化现实混合探测过程中对SERS特征峰的指认和判断.     

Interaction of plasmon and molecular resonances for rhodamine 6G adsorbed on silver nanoparticles

Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is a key optical property of metallic nanoparticles. The peak position of the LSPR for noble-metal nanoparticles is highly dependent upon the refractive index of the surrounding media and has therefore been used for chemical and biological sensing. In this work, we explore the influence of resonant adsorbates on the LSPR of bare Ag nanoparticles (lambda(max,bare)). Specifically, we study the effect of rhodamine 6G (R6G) adsorption on the nanoparticle plasmon resonance because of its importance in single-molecule surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SMSERS). Understanding the coupling between the R6G molecular resonances and the nanoparticle plasmon resonances will provide further insights into the role of LSPR and molecular resonance in SMSERS. By tuning lambda(max,bare) through the visible wavelength region, the wavelength-dependent LSPR response of the Ag nanoparticles to R6G binding was monitored. Furthermore, the electronic transitions of R6G on Ag surface were studied by measuring the surface absorption spectrum of R6G on an Ag film. Surprisingly, three LSPR shift maxima are found, whereas the R6G absorption spectrum shows only two absorption features. Deconvolution of the R6G surface absorption spectra at different R6G concentrations indicates that R6G forms dimers on the metal surface. An electromagnetic model based on quasi-static (Gans) theory reveals that the LSPR shift features are associated with the absorption of R6G monomer and dimers. Electronic structure calculations of R6G under various conditions were performed to study the origin of the LSPR shift features. These calculations support the view that the R6G dimer formation is the most plausible cause for the complicated LSPR response. These findings show the extreme sensitivity of LSPR in elucidating the detailed electronic structure of a resonant adsorbate.     

A surface-enhanced Raman scattering method for detection of trace glutathione on the basis of immobilized silver nanoparticles and crystal violet probe

Unsatisfactory sensitivity and stability for molecules with low polarizability is still a problem limiting the practical applications of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique. By preparing immobilized silver nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄/Ag) through depositing silver on the surface of magnetite particles, a highly sensitive and selective SERS method for the detection of trace glutathione (GSH) was proposed on the basis of a system of Fe₃O₄/Ag nanoparticles and crystal violet (CV), in which the target GSH competed with the CV probe for the adsorption on the Fe₃O₄/Ag nanoparticles. Raman insensitive GSH replaced the highly Raman sensitive CV adsorbed on the surface of Fe₃O₄/Ag particles. This replacement led to a strong decrease of the CV SERS signal, which was used to determine the concentration of GSH. Under optimal conditions, a linear response was established between the intensity decrease of the CV SERS signal and the GSH concentration in the range of 50–700 nmol L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 40 nmol L⁻¹. The use of a Fe₃O₄/Ag substrate provided not only a great SERS enhancement but also a good stability, which guarantees the reproducibility of the proposed method. Its use for the determination of GSH in practical blood samples and cell extract yielded satisfactory results.     

纳米银对表面吸附镝配合物的荧光增强效应研究

研究了不同粒径的纳米银对镝配合物(乙二胺四乙酸配合物)的光谱学性质影响。当配合物溶液的pH值范围为4.0～6.0时,加入纳米银,可观察到大量的纳米银聚集体形成,而在吸收光谱的长波处出现一个新的吸收峰,随着纳米银浓度的增加,该吸收峰逐渐红移,同时,镝配合物的荧光强度增强。实验结果表明,纳米银粒子对镝配合物的荧光增强效应及荧光增强因子与纳米银粒子的浓度和粒径密切相关。随着纳米银浓度的增加,配合物的荧光强度先增强而后又逐渐降低。小粒径的纳米银对镝配合物的荧光增强因子较小。本文从纳米银粒子的聚集效应、局部电磁场增强效应及光吸收效应等方面探讨了纳米银对表面吸附镝配合物的+荧光增强效应机理。     

二步电沉积法制备Au/氧化石墨烯复合薄膜作为SERS基底

采用二步电沉积方法在Ti片表面制备了Au-氧化石墨烯（Au-GO）复合薄膜,通过XRD、SEM、XPS等对薄膜的组成、结构和形貌进行了表征,并以罗丹明6G（R6G）为探针分子,对Au-GO/Ti基底的SERS活性进行了表征。结果显示,Au纳米颗粒尺寸约为60 nm,均匀、致密分布于GO表面,该基底显示出较高的SERS活性,对R6G分子的检测极限可达~10^-10 mol·L^-1,增强因子高达约10⁶,且基底显示出良好的稳定性,在冰箱中存放90 d后,SERS活性仅降低30%左右。     

二步电沉积法制备Au/氧化石墨烯复合薄膜作为SERS基底

采用二步电沉积方法在Ti片表面制备了Au-氧化石墨烯（Au-GO）复合薄膜,通过XRD、SEM、XPS等对薄膜的组成、结构和形貌进行了表征,并以罗丹明6G（R6G）为探针分子,对Au-GO/Ti基底的SERS活性进行了表征。结果显示,Au纳米颗粒尺寸约为60 nm,均匀、致密分布于GO表面,该基底显示出较高的SERS活性,对R6G分子的检测极限可达~10^-10 mol·L^-1,增强因子高达约10⁶,且基底显示出良好的稳定性,在冰箱中存放90 d后,SERS活性仅降低30%左右。     

银纳米粒子的绿色合成及其对荧光素室温磷光的增强效应

以β-环糊精(β-CD)作为稳定剂, 葡萄糖为还原剂, 银氨溶液为前驱体, 实现了绿色化学方法合成银纳米粒子. 利用紫外-可见分光光度法(UV-Vis)、高分辨透射电镜(HRTEM)、红外光谱法(FTIR)对产物进行了表征. 将银纳米粒子引入滤纸表面增强室温磷光(RTP)的研究, 发现银纳米粒子对醋酸铅诱导荧光素(FL)所得的RTP具有明显的增强效应, 并且随着银纳米粒子加入量的增加具有先增强后猝灭的趋势. 对β-CD与银纳米粒子的相互作用机理及银纳米粒子对FL RTP增强效应的作用机理进行了初步讨论.     

Surface‐Enhanced Raman Scattering Based on Controllable‐Layer Graphene Shells Directly Synthesized on Cu Nanoparticles for Molecular Detection

Graphene shells with a controllable number of layers were directly synthesized on Cu nanoparticles (CuNPs) by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to fabricate a graphene‐encapsulated CuNPs (G/CuNPs) hybrid system for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The enhanced Raman spectra of adenosine and rhodamine 6G (R6G) showed that the G/CuNPs hybrid system can strongly suppress background fluorescence and increase signal‐to‐noise ratio. In four different types of SERS systems, the G/CuNPs hybrid system exhibits more efficient SERS than a transferred graphene/CuNPs hybrid system and pure CuNPs and graphene substrates. The minimum detectable concentrations of adenosine and R6G by the G/CuNPs hybrid system can be as low as 10^?8 and 10^?10 M , respectively. The excellent linear relationship between Raman intensity and analyte concentration can be used for molecular detection. The graphene shell can also effectively prevent surface oxidation of Cu nanoparticles after exposure to ambient air and thus endow the hybrid system with a long lifetime. This work provides a basis for the fabrication of novel SERS substrates.     

Ag负载TiO2核壳基底的制备及对结晶紫的高效(SERS)检测

通过简单的一步水热法制备了TiO2核壳微球,然后经过原位光还原将Ag负载于其表面,成功得到了用于有机分子检测的Ag负载TiO2核壳表面增强拉曼散射（SERS）基底。得益于TiO2核壳微球的结构,其对结晶紫（CV）分子表现出高的吸附容量。单一TiO2核壳微球对CV的检测限为10-3 M,而负载Ag以后,其对CV的检测限能达到10-7 M,增强因子（EF）可达3.49×105。优异的SERS检测性能可能归因于以下几点：（1）半导体TiO2为Ag纳米粒子提供了均匀分散的骨架,创造了高密度的热点;（2）为CV分子提供了大的吸附面积;（3）复合材料促进了激发光子的相互作用。     

Differential SERS activity of gold and silver nanostructures enabled by adsorbed poly(vinylpyrrolidone)

We report that poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), a common stabilizer of colloidal dispersions of noble metal nanostructures, has a dramatic effect on their surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity and enables highly selective SERS detection of analytes of various type and charge. Nanostructures studied include PVP-stabilized Au-Ag nanoshells synthesized by galvanic exchange reaction of citrate-reduced Ag nanoparticles (NPs), as well as solid citrate-reduced Ag and Au NPs, both before and after stabilization with PVP. All nanostructures were characterized in terms of their size, surface plasmon resonance wavelength, surface charge, and chemical composition. While the SERS activities of the parent citrate-reduced Ag and Au NPs are similar for rhodamine 6G (R6G) and 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene (BPE) at various pH values, PVP-stabilized nanostructures demonstrate large differences in SERS enhancement factors (EFs) between these analytes depending on their chemical nature and protonation state. At pH values higher than BPE's pK(a2) of 5.65, where the analyte is largely unprotonated, the PVP-coated Au-Ag nanoshells showed a high SERS EF of >10(8). In contrast, SERS EFs were 10(3)- to 10(5)-fold lower for the protonated form of BPE at lower pH values, or for the usually highly SERS-active cationic R6G. The differential SERS activity of PVP-stabilized nanostructures is a result of discriminatory binding of analytes within-adsorbed PVP monolayer and a subsequent increase of analyte concentration at the nanostructure surface. Our experimental and theoretical quantum chemical calculations show that BPE binding with PVP-stabilized Au-Ag nanoshells is stronger when the analyte is in its unprotonated form as compared to its cationic, protonated form at a lower pH.     

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.     

Ultrasonic-Assisted Synthesis of Monodisperse Ag Nanoparticles and Their Applications in Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering and Fluorescence Enhancement

Monodisperse Ag nanoparticles with diameters of about 3.4 nm were synthesized by a facile ultrasonic synthetic route at room temperature with the reduction of borane-tert-butylamine in the presence of oleylamine (OAm) and oleic acid (OA). The reaction parameters of time, the molar ratios of OAm to OA were studied, and it was found that these parameters played important roles in the morphology and size of the products. Meanwhile, surface enhanced Raman spectrum (SERS) property suggested the Ag nanoparticles exhibited high SERS effect on the model molecule Rhodamine 6G. And also, two-photon fluorescence images showed that the silver nanoparticles had high performances in fluorescence enhancement.     

Variations in steady-state and time-resolved background luminescence from surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering-active single Ag nanoaggregates

We observed a background luminescence emission that was associated with surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) of rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules adsorbed on single Ag nanoaggregates and investigated the origin of the background luminescence. Thanks to the observation of single nanoaggregates, we clearly identified nanoaggregate-by-nanoaggregate variations in the steady-state and time-resolved background luminescence spectra of each nanoaggregate. From the variations in the steady-state spectra, two kinds of key properties were revealed. First, the background luminescence spectra were divided into four components: one fluorescence band corresponding to the monomers of R6G and three Lorentzian bands whose maxima were red-shifted from the fluorescence maximum of the monomer by several tens of nanometers. On the basis of the red-shifted luminescence maxima, and experimental and theoretical studies of background luminescence, we attributed the three background luminescences to fluorescence from aggregates (dimer and two kinds of higher-order aggregates) of R6G molecules on an Ag surface. Second, a positive correlation was observed between wavelengths of background luminescence maxima and wavelengths of plasmon resonance maxima. This positive correlation invoked the idea that the dipoles of both the background luminescence and the plasmon radiation are coupled with each other. From the key observations in the steady-state background luminescence spectra, we propose that two factors contribute to the variations in the steady-state background luminescence spectra; one is the aggregation (monomer, dimer, and two kinds of higher-order aggregates) of R6G molecules on an Ag surface, and the other is plasmon resonance maxima of single Ag nanoaggregates. Considering these two factors, we propose that the variations in the time-resolved background luminescence spectra are associated with deaggregation of R6G molecules (higher- to lower-order aggregates) and temporal shifts in the plasmon resonance maxima of single Ag nanoaggregates.