The role of electron scattering in the surface enhanced Raman effect on AgAu alloys

We have observed SERS from AgAu alloys using incident photon energies above and below the onset for interband transitions. Below the onset, electron scattering processes due to alloying cause a decrease in SERS intensity below that observed on either pure metal. This behavior is most easily explained by theories which are based on the optical properties of the substrate.