Formation of SERS-active silver structures on the surface of mesoporous silicon

We have optimized the procedure for preparation of nanostructured silver films on the surface of mesoporous silicon (PSi) to use them as active substrates in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. The greatest enhancement of the SERS signal was observed for samples obtained when the silver was deposited on PSi from an aqueous AgNO₃ solution with concentration 1⋅10^–2 M over a 10–15 minute period. The detection limit for rhodamine 6G on SERS-active substrates prepared by the optimized procedure was 1⋅10^–10 M. The enhancement factor for the SERS signal on these surfaces was estimated as ≈2⋅10⁸. We have shown that SERS-active substrates based on mesoporous silicon are promising for detection and study of complex organic compounds, in particular tetrapyrrole molecules. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 76, No. 2, pp. 298–306, March–April, 2009.