Fast and slow deposition of silver nanorods on planar surfaces: application to metal-enhanced fluorescence

Two methods have been considered for the deposition of silver nanorods onto conventional glass substrates. In the first method, silver nanorods were deposited onto 3-(aminopropyl)triethoxysilane-coated glass substrates simply by immersing the substrates into the silver nanorod solution. In the second method, spherical silver seeds that were chemically attached to the surface were subsequently converted and grown into silver nanorods in the presence of a cationic surfactant and silver ions. The size of the silver nanorods was controlled by sequential immersion of silver seed-coated glass substrates into a growth solution and by the duration of immersion, ranging from tens of nanometers to a few micrometers. Atomic force microscopy and optical density measurements were used to characterize the silver nanorods deposited onto the surface of the glass substrates. The application of these new surfaces is for metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF), whereby the close proximity of silver nanostructures can alter the radiative decay rate of fluorophores, producing enhanced signal intensities and an increased fluorophore photostability. In this paper, it is indeed shown that irregularly shaped silver nanorod-coated surfaces are much better MEF surfaces as compared to traditional silver island or colloid films. Subsequently, these new silver nanorod preparation procedures are likely to find a common place in MEF, as they are a quicker and much cheaper alternative as compared to surfaces fabricated by traditional nanolithographic techniques.     

Angular-dependent metal-enhanced fluorescence from silver colloid-deposited films: opportunity for angular-ratiometric surface assays

We describe an exciting opportunity for Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence (MEF)-based surface assays using an angular-ratiometric approach to the observed enhanced emission from fluorophores in close proximity to silver colloids deposited on glass substrates. This approach utilizes the radiationless energy transfer (coupling) between the excited states of the fluorophore and the induced surface plasmons of the silver colloids, and the subsequent angular-dependent fluorescence emission from the fluorophore-silver colloid system. Since MEF is related to surface plasmons' ability to scatter light, angular-dependent light scattering from three different silvered surfaces and glass substrates were investigated using two common excitation angles, 45 and 90 degrees . The scattered light from silvered surfaces with a high loading was observed at wider angles on both sides of the glass substrates, while forward scattering (from the back of the glass) was dominant for the silvered surfaces with low loading, as explained by both Mie and Rayleigh theories. When silver colloids were placed between the fluorophore and glass interface, the coupled fluorescence emission through the higher refractive index glass (and in air), increased in an angular-dependent fashion, following closely the angular-dependent light scattering pattern of the silver colloids themselves. Similar observations for fluorescence emission from fluorophores deposited onto glass surfaces alone were made, but at much narrower angles on both sides of the fluorophore-glass interface and were simply explained by Lambert's cosine law. As the loading of silver on glass was increased, the enhanced fluorescence emission was observed at wider angles (towards 0 and 180 degrees ) at both sides of the silvered surfaces. Glass surfaces without silver colloids were used as control samples to demonstrate the benefits of MEF for enhancing fluorescence signatures in an elegant, angular-dependent fashion. Finally, the utility of the angular-dependent MEF phenomenon for intensity-based angular-ratiometric surface assays is demonstrated.     

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.     

Antibacterial and biocompatible surfaces based on dopamine autooxidized silver nanoparticles

A facile and green method is proposed to immobilize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) showing antibacterial and biocompatible properties on surfaces of substrates. The adhesive and reductive polydopamine (Pdop) coating was applied on the substrates such as polyethylene, glass, poly(methyl methacrylate), and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) by simply dipping into dopamine solutions. AgNPs of 50–70 nm formed uniformly on the Pdop-coated surfaces after immersing in silver nitrate solution where the density of AgNPs was modulated by Pdop immobilization time. Antibacterial efficacy, lactate dehydrogenase assay, and cell morphology observed by microscopy indicated that the as-prepared AgNPs deposited on Pdop/substrates possessed effective biocidal properties and did not inhibit the growth of L-929 cells mouse fibroblasts. The proposed method can be easily applied on different substrates and revealed good biocompatibility, which could be further developed for applications in biomaterials. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2013     

Effect of Glass Substrates on the Formation of Gold-Silver Colloids in Nanocomposite Thin Films

A sol-gel route to synthesize nanocomposite thin films containing phase separated metal colloids of gold (Au) and silver (Ag) was developed. Ag—Au colloids were prepared in silica films using dip coating technique. The annealing of the samples in air results in the formation of phase separated Ag and Au colloids in SiO₂ thin films, showing the surface plasmon peaks at 410 nm and 528 nm. For the synthesis of phase separated Ag and Au colloids on float glass substrates, formation of the silver colloids was found strongly dependent on the surface of the float glass. On the tin rich surface formation of both gold and silver colloids took place, whereas, on the tin poor surface the formation of only gold colloids was observed. The surface dependence of the formation of silver colloids was attributed to the presence of tin as Sn²⁺ state on the glass surface, which oxidizes into Sn⁴⁺ during heat treatment, reducing Ag⁺ into silver colloids.     

Surface-enhanced raman scattering on silver-coated teflon sphere substrates

A simple experimental method for detecting organic species adsorbed on surfaces by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is described. The rough silver surfaces were obtained by vapor deposition of Ag on teflon spheres of uniform size and shape on glass substrates. The spectra obtained from adsorbed phthalic acid, benzoic acid, and nitrobenzoic acid excited by the 514.5 nm substrates. The spectra obtained from adsorbed phthalic acid, benzoic acid, and nitrobenzoic acid these bands were not present and characteristic line spectra were obtained. The reproducibility of the method due to the well-defined roughness of the substrate constitutes a good tool by which theory can be tested.     

Sulforhodamine Adsorbed Langmuir-Blodgett Layers on Silver Island Films: Effect of Probe Distance on the Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence

Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence (MEF) has become an important method in biomedical sensing. In this paper, we present the distance-dependent MEF of sulforhodamine B (SRB) monolayer on silver island films (SIFs). SRB is electrostatically incorporated into the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) layers of octadecylamine (ODA) deposited on glass and SIFs substrates. The distances between SRB and SIFs or glass surfaces are controlled by depositing a varied number of inert stearic acid (SA) spacer layers. SRB is incorporated into positively charged LB layers of ODA by immersing the ODA deposited substrates into aqueous solution of SRB. Dye incorporated ODA layers with 10 nm separation distance from the SIFs surface show maximum metal-enhanced fluorescence intensity; ~7-fold increase in intensity as compared to that from the glass surface. The corresponding enhancement factor is reduced with increasing or decreasing the probe distance from the SIFs surface. Additionally, SRB on SIF surfaces show reduced lifetimes. We observed the shortest lifetime from the SRB with 5 nm distance from the SIF surfaces and the lifetime increased consistently with increasing the distances between the fluorophore and the SIFs surface. These observed spectral changes, increase in fluorescence intensity and decreased fluorescence lifetimes, are in accordance with the expected effects due to near-field interactions between the silver nanoparticles and fluorophores. We have also analyzed the complex fluorescence heterogeneous decays on metallic nanostructured surfaces using continuous distributions of decay times. The decay-time distributions appear to be sensitive to the distance between the metal and fluorophore and represent the underlying heterogeneity of the samples. The present systematic study provides significant information on the effect of fluorophore distance on the metal-enhanced fluorescence phenomenon.     

Metal-enhanced fluorescence using anisotropic silver nanostructures: critical progress to date

In this critical and timely review, the effects of anisotropic silver nanostructures on the emission intensity and photostability of a key fluorophore that is frequently used in many biological assays is examined. The silver nanostructures consist of triangular, rod-like, and fractal-like nanoparticles of silver deposited on conventional glass substrates. The close proximity to silver nanostructures results in greater intensity and photostability of the fluorophore than for fluorophores solely deposited on glass substrates. These new anisotropic silver nanostructure-coated surfaces show much more favorable effects than silver island films or silver colloid-coated substrates. Subsequently, the use of metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) for biosensing applications is discussed.     

Surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRA) using external reflection on low-cost substrates

A novel approach for spectroscopic trace analysis is introduced by combining surface enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy with external reflection techniques on disposable inexpensive substrates. SEIRA-active surfaces produced by electrochemical deposition of silver on smooth metal surfaces and glass improve the sensitivity of IR reflection measurements significantly since the infrared absorption of organic substances such as p-nitrobenzoic acid is considerably increased in the vicinity of rough noble metal surfaces. The enhancement properties of thus prepared substrates are characterized and compared using IR-spectroscopy. These low-cost substrates used in single- and multiple external reflection arrangements, respectively, yield a significant increase of the detection level compared to conventional reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) up to one order of magnitude. Hence, a notable step towards a wide-spread application of SEIRA in routine IR reflection analysis is presented.     

Preparation and characterization by surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy of silver nanoparticles formed on germanium substrates by electroless displacement

In this paper, the feasibility of applying electroless displacement to prepare silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the surface of germanium (Ge) substrate is demonstrated, and the performances of surfaces prepared in this manner for surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy are reported. The process used to produce suitable AgNPs for SEIRA by electroless deposition is simple and effective, requiring only pretreatment of the germanium surface with hot air, immersion of the substrate in a dilute solution of silver nitrate, and washing of the resulting plate. To quantify the behavior of AgNPs on a Ge substrate and to optimize the conditions for the preparation of AgNPs on Ge substrates, a monolayer of p-nitrothiophenol (PNTP) was bonded to the surface of the AgNPs by immersion of the plate in a dilute solution of PNTP and measurement of the transmission spectrum. The factors that influenced the formation of AgNPs, and hence the SEIRA signals, included the concentration of AgNO₃, the reaction time and the temperature. Results indicated that stronger absorption bands in the SEIRA spectrum of a monolayer of PNTP were obtained if the reaction rate for the displacement of silver ions by Ge was slow. This condition was achieved by keeping the concentration of AgNO₃ and the reaction temperature low. Under the optimal conditions found in this work, an enhancement factor of approximately 100 was achieved for commonly used probe molecules in SEIRA measurements.     

Surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRA) using external reflection on low-cost substrates

A novel approach for spectroscopic trace analysis is introduced by combining surface enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy with external reflection techniques on disposable inexpensive substrates. SEIRA-active surfaces produced by electrochemical deposition of silver on smooth metal surfaces and glass improve the sensitivity of IR reflection measurements significantly since the infrared absorption of organic substances such as p-nitrobenzoic acid is considerably increased in the vicinity of rough noble metal surfaces. The enhancement properties of thus prepared substrates are characterized and compared using IR-spectroscopy. These low-cost substrates used in single- and multiple external reflection arrangements, respectively, yield a significant increase of the detection level compared to conventional reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) up to one order of magnitude. Hence, a notable step towards a wide-spread application of SEIRA in routine IR reflection analysis is presented. Received: 20 January 1998 / Revised: 3 June 1998 / Accepted: 5 June 1998     

Combined SPR and SERS microscopy in the Kretschmann configuration

A novel hybrid spectroscopic technique is proposed, combining surface plasmon resonance (SPR) with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) microscopy. A standard Raman microscope is modified to accommodate the excitation of surface plasmon-polaritons (SPPs) on flat metallic surfaces in the Kretschmann configuration, while retaining the capabilities of Raman microscopy. The excitation of SPPs is performed as in standard SPR-microscopy; namely, a beam with TM-polarization traverses off-axis a high numerical aperture oil immersion objective, illuminating at an angle the metallic film from the (glass) substrate side. The same objective is used to collect the full Kretschmann cone containing the SERS emission on the substrate side. The angular dispersion of the plasmon resonance is measured in reflectivity for different coupling conditions and, simultaneously, SERS spectra are recorded from Nile Blue (NB) molecules adsorbed onto the surface. A trade-off is identified between the conditions of optimum coupling to SPPs and the spot size (which is related to the spatial resolution). This technique opens new horizons for SERS microscopy with uniform enhancement on flat surfaces.     

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy based on conical holed enhancing substrates

In this contribution, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based on conical holed glass substrates deposited with silver colloids was reported for the first time. It combines the advantages of both dry SERS assays based on plane films deposited with silver colloids and wet SERS assays utilizing cuvettes or capillary tubes. Compared with plane glass substrates deposited with silver colloids, the conical holed glass substrates deposited with silver colloids exhibited five-to ten-folds of increase in the rate of signal enhancement, due to the internal multiple reflections of both the excitation laser beam and the Raman scattering photons within conical holes. The application of conical holed glass substrates could also yield significantly stronger and more reproducible SERS signals than SERS assays utilizing capillary tubes to sample the mixture of silver colloids and the solution of the analyte of interest. The conical holed glass substrates in combination with the multiplicative effects model for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (MEM_SERS) achieved quite sensitive and precise quantification of 6-mercaptopurine in complex plasma samples with an average relative prediction error of about 4% and a limit of detection of about 0.02 μM using a portable i-Raman 785H spectrometer. It is reasonable to expect that SERS technique based on conical holed enhancing substrates in combination with MEM_SERS model can be developed and extended to other application areas such as drug detection, environmental monitoring, and clinic analysis, etc.     

一种简单组装纳米沸石粒子层的方法及其二次法成膜研究

使用一种简单、新颖的纳米沸石晶体自组装方法, 以γ-氨丙基三甲氧基硅烷(AP-TMS)为偶联剂, 成功地实现了纳米A型沸石粒子在多孔不锈钢、陶瓷以及单晶硅表面的沉积组装, 获得了覆盖度高的续、均匀的沸石粒子层. 组装过程在合成釜内分为载体功能化和晶种化两步. 以该沸石粒子层为晶种二次法成膜, 形成了交织生长的连续、均匀的沸石膜, 并用含少量水的苯甲醛混合液评价了微型膜的渗透蒸发性能, 水-苯甲醛分离系数超过10 000以上. 考察了使用γ-氨丙基三甲氧基硅烷(AP-TMS)、γ-氯丙基三甲氧基硅烷(CP-TMS)和γ-巯丙基三甲氧基硅烷(SP-TMS)三种不同偶联剂时, 纳米A型沸石晶体在多孔不锈钢、陶瓷以及单晶硅表面的自组装效果. 研究发现, 使用CP-TMS作为偶联剂时, 只在不锈钢载体上形成较为连续的粒子层, 而使用SP-TMS作为偶联剂时, 在三种载体上纳米A型沸石粒子均不能沉积形成粒子层. 对偶联剂的作用和粒子组装机制进行了讨论和预测.     

Formation of gold-silver nanowires in thin surfactant solution films

Thin, long gold/silver nanowires were grown on substrates in thin surfactant solution films. This growth process occurred exclusively in thinning aqueous films as the water evaporated, and elongated surfactant template structures were formed. The nanowire growth depended on the presence of a relatively high concentration of silver ions (typical Ag:Au mole ratio of 1:1). Tuning the pH value to about 5 in the growth solution was crucial for the nanowire growth. Further development of this process may lead to a simple wet chemical technique for the fabrication of relatively uniform arrays of metal nanowires on surfaces.     

Comparison of the adsorption orientation for 2-mercaptobenzothiazole and 2-mercaptobenzoxazole by SERS spectroscopy

In this study, the adsorption orientation for 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) and 2-mercaptobenzoxazole (MBO) on to silver mirror and silver sol substrates have been studied by surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The MBT and MBO were chemisorbed on both silver mirror and silver sol after deprotonation with a tilted orientation to the silver surfaces. The surface enhanced properties of MBT and MBO showed that the substrate of silver mirror was superior to the sliver sol. The SERS spectra of MBT and MBO revealed that both of the MBT and MBO were adsorbed on silver surfaces strongly by a common sulfur molecule and a sulfur atom from MBT and an oxygen atom from MBO. Therefore, the adsorption orientation of MBT and MBO was little tilted perpendicularly to the silver surfaces. The adsorption geometry did not undergo any significant changes in acidic and basic solutions. It showed that the adsorption orientation for MBT and MBO were stable in the both solutions.     

不同银膜粒径对单壁碳纳米管SERS谱的影响

利用化学沉积法和溶胶法制备了粒径在20～100nm范围内不同的表面增强纳米结构活性银膜,系统地研究了单壁碳纳米管（SWCNT）的表面增强拉曼光谱（SERS）的G—band和D—band、比较玻璃和石英两种不同基片上的结果发现,单壁碳管的SERS谱随银膜粒径的变化有相同的变化趋势,G-band峰移对20～100nm范围内活性银膜粒径的差异不敏感,表明该波段所对应的碳管六元环本征振动比较稳定,与界面的化学相互作用较弱．D—band的峰形随基片和活性银膜粒径不同均有改变,且随着粒径变小,高频振动贡献有增大的趋势,表明无序碳与活性银膜间存在很强的相互作用。     

Surface-enhanced vibrational spectroscopy of B vitamins: what is the effect of SERS-active metals used?

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy and surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy are analytical tools suitable for the detection of small amounts of various analytes adsorbed on metal surfaces. During recent years, these two spectroscopic methods have become increasingly important in the investigation of adsorption of biomolecules and pharmaceuticals on nanostructured metal surfaces. In this work, the adsorption of B-group vitamins pyridoxine, nicotinic acid, folic acid and riboflavin at electrochemically prepared gold and silver substrates was investigated using Fourier transform SERS spectroscopy at an excitation wavelength of 1,064 nm. Gold and silver substrates were prepared by cathodic reduction on massive platinum targets. In the case of gold substrates, oxidation–reduction cycles were applied to increase the enhancement factor of the gold surface. The SERS spectra of riboflavin, nicotinic acid, folic acid and pyridoxine adsorbed on silver substrates differ significantly from SERS spectra of these B-group vitamins adsorbed on gold substrates. The analysis of near-infrared-excited SERS spectra reveals that each of B-group vitamin investigated interacts with the gold surface via a different mechanism of adsorption to that with the silver surface. In the case of riboflavin adsorbed on silver substrate, the interpretation of surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectra was also helpful in investigation of the adsorption mechanism.     

Microstructure and Magnetic Properties of Ag/Fe/Ag Pseudo-Sandwich Nanogranular Films

"Nanogranular Ag/Fe/Ag films were prepared by magnetron sputtering from a silver and an iron target onto glass substrates at room temperature and subsequent in situ annealing. The structural and magnetic properties of the films were investigated as a function of silver layer thickness and annealing temperature. X-ray diffraction shows the Fe(110) peak is formed in all the samples. Vibrating sample magnetometer measurements indicate that the magnetic moments lie well perpendicular to the film plane. Coercivityreaches the maximum in the sample annealed at 500 oC for 30 min with 3 nm Ag layer. A scanning probemicroscope was used to scan surface morphology and magnetic domain structures. In as-deposited samplesthe average grain size and the average roughness is smaller than that the annealing samples. After annealing,the grain size is larger and the contrast of domains increases, but the domain size becomes smaller."     

Assembly of coordination nanostructures via ligand derivatization of oxide surfaces

A scheme is presented for the construction of coordination nanostructures on oxide surfaces (glass, Si/SiO2, quartz), based on application of epoxy-terminated monolayers as anchors for covalent grafting of ligands. Two ligands bearing amine groups were reacted with epoxysilane monolayers on oxide surfaces, providing ligand-terminated substrates. The ligands employed were (i) a pyridine moiety, used for subsequent binding of cobalt tetraphenylporphine (CoTPP), and (ii) deferoxamine (DFX), which contains hydroxamic acid moieties, used for subsequent construction of various Zr4+-based coordination layers. The results suggest that a dense ligand layer was obtained in both cases, allowing the formation of coordination overlayers on the oxide surfaces. The growth of coordinated layers was similar to analogous overlayers assembled on Au substrates, indicating that high ligand coverage is achieved by the epoxy-amine surface reaction. Epoxy-based functionalization of oxide substrates is a mild and efficient method for preparing high-quality coordination overlayers. Moreover, the method makes use of commercially available silane and amine reactants, providing the basis for wide application.