Raman investigations of SERS activity of Ag nanoclusters on a TiO2-nanotubes/Ti substrate

Tubular arrays of TiO₂ nanotubes (ranging in diameter from 40 to 110 nm) on a Ti substrate were used as a support for Ag deposits obtained by the sputter deposition technique where the amount of Ag varied from 0.01 to 0.2 mg Ag/cm². Those composite supports were intended for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) investigations. Composite samples of Ag/TiO₂ nanotube/Ti were studied with the aid of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) to reveal their characteristic morphological and chemical features. Raman spectra of pyridine (as a probe molecule) were measured at different cathodic potentials ranging from −0.2 down to −1.2 V after the pyridine had been adsorbed on the Ag-covered TiO₂ nanotube/Ti substrates. In addition, SERS spectra on a bulk standard activated Ag substrate were also measured.The SERS activity of the composite samples was strongly dependent on the amount of Ag deposit. At and above 0.06 mg Ag/cm², the SERS signal was even higher than that for the Ag reference substrate. The high activity of the composites is mainly a result of their specific morphology. The high SERS sensitivity on the surface morphology made it possible to monitor very small temporal changes in the Ag clusters. This rearrangement was not detectable with microscopic (SEM) or microanalytical (AES) methods.