Enhanced and normal Raman scattering from pyridine adsorbed on rough and smooth silver electrodes

A multiplex spectrograph has been used to record potential difference and modulation Raman spectra of pyridine adsorbed on silver electrodes in an electrochemical cell. Spectra have been obtained from rough silver surfaces which give SERS and from surfaces where SERS has been diminished by prolonged cathodic polarisation (DSERS). Raman scattering from pyridine at smooth silver surfaces in potassium perchlorate and fluoride solutions has been distinguished from solution scatter by a potential modulation technique. The results show that the enhanced scattering caused by silver atom or cluster sites is respresentative of the surface as a whole as similar Raman spectra are obtained on smooth surfaces at a count rate as low as ?1.4 photons s^?1 (incident laser power 500 mW).Correlation of simultaneous differential capacitance data and “snapshot” SER spectra indicate that pyridine molecules in aqueous chloride ion solutions adsorb on silver in a flat π-bonded configuration at potentials markedly positive to the point of zero charge and exhibit specific reorientation at ?0.3 V and ?0.45 V (vs. SCE) to become N-bonded, perpendicular to the surface. Results also show that the adsorption behaviour of pyridine in chloride and fluoride ion solutions is largely similar.     

Raman spectroscopic investigation of silver electrodes

Raman spectroscopy has been applied to the study of the reduction of carbon dioxide and of formate and carbonate ions at a silver electrode. Raman spectra of adsorbed intermediate species, which are as yet only partially identified, have been detected and show marked variations with electrode potential. These spectral variations are clearly correlated with the voltammetric features for carbonate solutions and suggest that these reduction products complicate most measurements on silver electrodes in the cathodic region. The interpretation of the previously reported spectra due to adsorbed pyridine at silver electrodes has been reconsidered; interactions with surface carboxy species may be significant.     

Raman spectra of carbon monoxide adsorbed on silver electrodes

Weak Raman spectra of carbon monoxide on silver electrode surfaces exhibit frequency and intensity variations with changing potential. The frequency-potential dependence is rationalized in terms of electron-transfer to the antibonding π^* state of electrosorbed CO.     

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering of water adsorbed on silver electrodes

Temporal evolution of the Raman spectra of H₂O, D₂O and HDO during an oxidation-reduction cycle of a Ag electrode in aqueous 1 M KCl or KBr has been recorded with an optical multichannel analyzer. Surface enhanced Raman spectra of the adsorbed water are readily observable and are different from the Raman spectra of bulk water.     

Efficient gold and silver electrodes for surface enchanced raman spectral studies of electrochemical systems: The behaviour of pyridine and naphthalene adsorbed on roughened gold electrodes

A method is described whereby surface enhanced Raman (SER) active electrode surfaces of gold and silver may be made without recourse to the oxidation—reduction techniques which have been used hitherto. This method involves electroplating at low current density from dilute (< 10^?2M) solutions of a suitable salt or complex in the absence of supporting electrolyte.Scanning electron microscopy shows the surfaces to consist of small spherical particles of fairly constant diameter packed together on the electrode. The sphere diameters are typically 70 nm (gold) and 180 nm (silver) for electrodes prepared in this manner. These electrodes exhibit intense SER scattering and have advantages over oxidation—reduction roughened electrodes. As examples of their utility some results are presented relating to the gold/pyridine and gold/naphthalene systems and these are discussed in relation to results obtained by other workers in similar systems using different methods, i.e., ellipsometry and differential capacitance variation.     

Infrared and Raman spectroscopic study of 1,2-benzenedithiol adsorbed on silver

Adsorption of 1,2-benzenedithiol (1,2-BDT) on a silver surface has been investigated by surface-enhanced Raman (SER) and reflection-absorption infrared (RAI) spectroscopy. The molecule was adsorbed on silver very favorably by forming two Ag---S bonds after deprotonation. From the RAI spectral pattern, the benzene ring of adsorbed 1,2-BDT was presumed to be tilted by ca. 38° from the surface normal. This RAI information was used to test the validity of various proposed SER selection rules. Being frequently quoted in the literature, the presence or absence of the benzene ring CH stretching vibration in the SER spectrum seemed, in fact, to be a very useful indicator in judging the perpendicular or parallel orientation of the benzene ring with respect to the surface. However, the so-called in-plane/out-of-plane dichotomy as well as the more elaborate symmetry-based electromagnetic selection rule was found not to work in the present system.     

Voltammetric and surface-enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopic characterization of cytochrome C adsorbed on a 4-mercaptopyridine monolayer on silver electrodes

To combine voltammetric techniques with surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS), cytochrome c (cyt c) was immobilized on a roughened silver electrode chemically modified with a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of 4-mercaptopyridine (PySH). All measurements were performed on the same electrode in a homemade spectroelectrochemical cell suitable for such applications. Cyt c on a PySH-SAM shows a quasi-reversible, monoelectronic, adsorption-controlled CV response with a formal reduction potential of -0.061 V (vs SCE), which is comparable to the values found for native cyt c adsorbed on different SAMs. SERRS spectra proved that cyt c adsorbed on a PySH monolayer is present in the native conformer (the B1 state). Voltammetric and SERRS experiments at high ionic strength revealed that the interaction between the SAM and the protein is electrostatic in nature. In conclusion, PySH was found to be suitable for adsorption of cyt c at SERRS-active silver surfaces. In comparison with other SAMs, PySH requires less time (10 min vs 12-18 h) to form a long-time durable and reproducible coating on the roughened electrode surface.     

Orientation change of adsorbed pyrazine on roughened rhodium electrodes as probed by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

A surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) study of pyrazine adsorbed on roughened Rh electrodes was performed. Potential and concentration effects on the adsorption behavior of pyrazine were investigated. The SER spectra display four pairs of overlapping bands with the relative intensity of each pair being highly potential dependent, which has not been observed on other metals. The orientation change of the adsorbed pyrazine from the end-on to N/pi bonded edge-on configuration is proposed to account for this potential-dependent relative intensity change. This hypothesis is further supported by the SERS results obtained at different pyrazine concentrations. In conjunction with the orientation effect, the interaction of Rh with hydrogen and oxygen generated at different potentials has a great influence on the adsorption configuration of pyrazine.     

Modeling the surface phenomena in carbon paste electrodes by low frequency impedance and double-layer capacitance measurements

Impedance and capacitance studies have been performed with covalently coupled Glucose oxidase (GOD) enzyme, covalently coupled flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), reconstituted GOD enzyme and blank carbon paste electrodes to study the changes in the electrochemical interfacial properties. Impedance studies were performed using a low frequency impedance technique and the electrochemical surface capacitance was measured by a pulse technique. We have attempted to fit the experimental values to an equivalent circuit model. The Randles' cell circuit with Warburg impedance modeled well the experimental values and the behavior of the enzyme electrodes. The individual components of the model were calculated and the parameters were explained. The blank paste electrode showed a constant phase element behavior.     

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopic studies on 1H-1,2,4-triazole adsorbed on silver colloidal nanoparticles

1H-1,2,4-triazole is a very effective corrosion inhibitor for copper. The adsorption of this compound on silver colloidal nanoparticles has been studied by means of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). SERS data are interpreted with the help of DFT calculations of models of the surface complex formed by 1H-1,2,4-triazole on the silver colloidal nanoparticles surface. It was found that this compound is adsorbed on metal surface in its anionic form and that it interacts with silver through the N₁ and N₂ atoms. The molecular plane assumes a tilted orientation with respect to the silver surface.     

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic study of 1,4-phenylene diisocyanide adsorbed on gold and platinum-group transition metal electrodes

Self-assembled monolayers of 1, 4-phenylene diisocyanide (PDI) were formed on Au and Pt-group transition metals and examined by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy under controlled applied potential. On all of the metals examined, PDI adsorbs in an edge-on manner, with one NC group bound to the surface and the other pointing away from the surface. The N-C stretching frequency (nu(NC)) suggests that depending on the metal, PDI adsorbs on different binding sites: terminal sites on Au, both terminal and bridging on Rh and Pt, and predominantly 3-fold hollow sites for Pd. This binding site preference can be understood in terms of the difference in d-band center energy and d-orbital filling among the metals. The applied potential affects the N-C bonding differently as inferred from the potential dependence of nu(NC). On Au, Rh, and Pd, the nu(NC) increases linearly with the applied potential, yielding a Stark tuning slope, dnu(NC)/dE, of 25, 12, and 10 cm(-1)/V, respectively. On Pt, the nu(NC) is nearly independent of the applied potential. On all of the metals studied, the frequencies of benzene ring vibration modes are not dependent on the applied potential, consistent with the edge-on orientation in which the ring does not directly interact with the surface. Several ring vibrations are, however, sensitive to the nature of metal substrate due to different binding sites involved. The ability of the free NC group to function as an anchoring point is demonstrated by the attachment of gold nanoparticles on PDI-covered Au and Pd. The study provides useful NC-metal bonding information for isocyanide-based molecular electronic developments.     

Surface enhanced Raman spectra (SERS) of pyridine and dye-1555 adsorbed on silver bromide colloids

SERS from pyridine and dye-1555 molecules adsorbed on silver bromide colloids were detected for the first time. The influences of ferricyanide, thiosulfate, hydrogen peroxide and excess bromide ions on SERS of pyridine on AgBr colloids are studied.     

Improved surface-enhanced Raman scattering on optimum electrochemically roughened silver substrates

In this work, the effects of preparation conditions used in roughening silver substrates by electrochemical triangular-wave oxidation-reduction cycles (ORC) on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) were first investigated. The optimum roughening conditions for obtaining strongest SERS of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) are as follows. Ag electrodes were cycled in deoxygenated aqueous solutions containing 0.1 M NaCl from −0.3 to +0.2 V versus Ag/AgCl at 25 mV s⁻¹ for five scans. The SERS of R6G adsorbed on this optimum procedure-prepared roughened Ag substrate exhibits a higher intensity by one order of magnitude, as compared with that of R6G adsorbed on a normally roughened Ag substrate.     

Raman spectra of pyridine adsorbed on a copper electrode

The surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of pyridine adsorbed on a copper electrode was observed with 647.1 nm excitation and the dependence of the Raman intensity as a function of electrode potential was obtained for the most intense bands. The results are compared with reported intensity and frequency values for the silver/pyridine system.     

Voltage-dependent excitation profiles of pyridine adsorbed on a silver electrode

Excitation profiles of Raman modes of pyridine adsorbed on an Ag electrode were measured at three applied voltages. A resonant type of contribution was observed, the resonance energy was voltage dependent. Our observations were attributed to the voltage-dependent effects of charge transfer transitions.     

The alkali metal cation effect on the surface-enhanced Raman spectra of phosphate anions adsorbed at silver electrodes

The interaction of adsorbed phosphate anions with alkali metal cations at the Ag|aqueous solution interface has been investigated by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Formation of ion pairs at the interface was evident from the cation-induced perturbations in the SER spectra of anions. The frequency of the external vibration, silver–oxygen (Ag---O′), was not sensitive to the nature of cation, while the relative intensity of this mode was cation-dependent and was explored as a sensitive probe for the monitoring of coadsorption of ions at the interface. From the internal phosphate vibrations, both asymmetric modes, δ_as(PO) and ν_as(PO), were found to be the most sensitive to the nature of the cation. At a relatively positive potential (0.00 V vs. Ag | AgCl) the spectral parameters for the Cs⁺ and K⁺ cations were very similar indicating the same bonding type with anions. A more inhomogeneous chemical environment for the phosphate oxygen atoms was detected in the case of Na⁺ and Li⁺ cations. An increase in ν_as(PO) frequency by ca. 10 cm⁻¹ was the characteristic spectral signature for the interaction of phosphates with Li⁺. The formation of water-shared ion pairs at the interface was suggested based on the absence of splitting in the ν_as(PO) mode and the previously observed frequency sensitivity of this band to solvent H₂O substitution by D₂O. At negative potential (−0.80 V), a stabilization effect of Cs⁺ on the phosphate adlayer was detected based on the twofold increase in intensity of the ν(Ag---O′) mode compared with Li⁺. Splitting of the ν_as(PO) mode suggested the contact interaction of anions with specifically adsorbed Cs⁺ cations.     

Surface-enhanced Raman study of organic sulfides adsorbed on silver

The surface-enhanced Raman scatterings of dimethyl sulfide, diethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulfide have been investigated in silver sol. The dimethyl disulfide molecule decomposes on silver to the corresponding mercaptide implying facile cleavage of its S---S bond. The C---S bond in dialkyl monosulfide appears not to cleave on silver. For diethyl sulfide, the C₂ conformation seems to be favorable on silver than other conformations.     

Raman spectroscopy of cobalt phthalocyanine adsorbed on a silver electrode

Raman spectra of cobalt tetrasulfonated phthalocyanine adsorbed on a silver electrode in aqueous electrolytes have been recorded in situ. It is shown that the entensity of the Raman bands is directly related to the amount of charge transfered during the electrochemical activation of the silver. The strong potential dependence of distinct Raman bands is discussed with respect to the resonance properties of the adsorbate, taking into account the orientation of the molecule on the surface.     

Improved surface-enhanced Raman scattering on electrochemically roughened silver substrates prepared in bielectrolyte solutions

In this work, the effect of supplemental LiClO₄ electrolytes in KCl solutions used in roughening silver substrates by electrochemical triangular-wave oxidation-reduction cycles (ORC) on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) was first investigated. To prepare SERS-active substrates by ORC procedures, electrolytes of KCl were generally employed. In contrast, LiClO₄ ones were unsuitable for producing SERS-active substrates. Encouragingly, SERS of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) adsorbed on the roughened Ag substrate prepared in an aqueous solution containing KCl and LiClO₄ electrolytes exhibits a higher intensity by one order of magnitude, as compared with that of R6G adsorbed on a roughened Ag substrate prepared in a solution only containing KCl. Further investigations indicate that the oxidation state of Cl on the roughened Ag substrate demonstrates decided effects on this improved SERS.