• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.462-465
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• 2019

Nanoscale gold particles have been intensively researched due to their potential applications in catalysis, electronics, plasmonics, and biological assays. In our study, we fabricated gold nanoparticles (NPs) that were synthesized in an aqueous environment via the reduction of $HAuCl_4$ by ascorbic acid (AC) with a sodium citrate (SC) surfactant. Highly monodispersed gold particles with sizes ranging from 123 to 184 nm were prepared in high-yield by a surfactant concentration. The structural and optical properties of the synthesized gold nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-vis spectroscopy. The prepared nanoparticles exhibited efficient surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) properties that were dependent on their on size.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.1405-1409
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• 2007

The potential-induced charge transfer of the dye (Bu4N)2[Ru(dcbpyH)2-(NCS)2] (N719) on Au, Ag, and Cu electrode surfaces has been examined by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) in the applied voltage range between 0.0 and ?0.8 V. N719 is assumed to have a relatively perpendicular geometry with its bipyridine ring on the metal surfaces. A strong appearance of the carboxylate band at ~1370 cm-1 indicates that the carboxyl group will likely be deprotonated on the metal surfaces. As the electric potential is shifted from ?0.8 to 0.0 V, the ν (NCS) band at ~2100 cm-1 on the electrode surfaces appears to undergo a shift in frequency and intensity change. This indicated that the charge transfer between the dye and metal electrode surfaces had occurred. Electric-field-dependent charge transfer differs somewhat depending on the type of metal surfaces as suggested from the dissimilar frequency positions of the ν (NCS) band.

• Advances in materials Research
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.139-149
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• 2014

Surface enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) has attracted attention because the technique enables detection of various chemicals, even down to single molecular scale. Among the diverse candidates for SERS substrates, Au nanoparticles are considered promising due to their fine optical properties, chemical stability and ease of surface modification. Therefore, the fabrication and optical characterization of gold particles on solid supports is highly desirable. Such structures have potential as SERS substrates because the localized surface plasmon resonance of gold nanoparticles is very sensitive to combined molecules and environments. In addition, it is well-known that the properties of Au nanoparticles are strongly dependent on their shape. In this work, arrays of shape-controlled Au nanoparticles were fabricated to exploit their enhanced and reproducible optical properties. First, shape-controlled Au nanoparticles were prepared via seed mediated solution-phase synthesis, including spheres, octahedra, and rhombic dodecahedra. Then, these shape-controlled Au nanoparticles were arranged on a PDMS substrate, which was nanopatterned using soft lithography of poly styrene particles. The Au nanoparticles were selectively located in a pattern of hexagonal spheres. In addition, the shape-controlled Au nanoparticles were arranged in various sizes of PDMS nanopatterns, which can be easily controlled by manipulating the size of polystyrene particles. Finally, the optical properties of the fabricated Au nanoparticle arrays were characterized by measuring surface enhanced Raman spectra with 4-nitrobenezenethiol.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.249-249
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• 2013

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a sensitive approach to detect and to identify a variety of molecules. To enhance the Raman signal, optimization of the gap between nanostructures is quite important. One-dimensional materials such as nanowires, nanotubes, and nanograsses have great potential to be used in SERS due to their unique sizes and shape dependent characteristics. In this study we investigate a simple way to fabricate SERS substrates based on randomly grown copper oxide (CuO) nanowires. CuO nanograss is fabricated on pre-cleaned Cu foils. Cu oxidized in an ammonium ambient solution of 2.5 M NaOH and 0.1 M $(NH_4)_2S_2O_8$ at $4^{\circ}C$ for 10, 30, and 60 minutes. Then, Cu(OH)2 nanostructures are formed and dried at $180^{\circ}C$ for 2 h. With the drying process, the Cu(OH)2 nanostructure is transformed to CuO nanograss by dehydration reaction. CuO nanograss are grown randomly on Cu foil with the average length of 10 ${\mu}m$ and the average diameter of a 100 nm. CuO nanograsses are covered by Ag with various thicknesses from 10 to 30 nm using a thermal evaporator. Then, we immerse uncoated and Ag coated CuO nanowire samples of various oxidation times in a 0.001M methanol-based 4-mercaptopyridine (4-Mpy) in order to evaluate SERS enhancement. Raman shift and SERS enhancement are measured using a Raman spectrometer (Horiba, LabRAM ARAMIS Spectrometer) with the laser wavelength of 532 nm. Raman scattering is believed to be enhanced by the interaction between CuO nanograss and Ag island film. The gaps between Ag covered CuO nanograsses are diverse from <10 nm at the bottom to ~200 nm at the top of nanograsses. SERS signal are improved where the gaps are minimized to near 10s of nanometers. There are many spots that provide sufficiently narrow gap between the structures on randomly grown CuO nanograss surface. Then we may find optimal enhancement of Raman signal using the mapping data of average results. Fabrication of CuO nanograss based on a solution method is relatively simple and fast so this result can potentially provide a path toward cost effective fabrication of SERS substrate for sensing applications.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.spc8
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• pp.2941-2948
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• 2011

A nanogap formed by a metal nanoparticle and a flat metal substrate is one kind of "hot site" for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The characteristics of a typical nanogap formed by a planar Au and either an Au and Ag nanoparticle have been well studied using 4-aminobenzenethiol (4-ABT) as a probe. 4-ABT is, however, an unusual molecule in the sense that its SERS spectral feature is dependent not only on the kinds of SERS substrates but also on the measurement conditions; thus further characterization is required using other adsorbate molecules such as 1,4-phenylenediisocyanide (1,4-PDI). In fact, no Raman signal was observable when 1,4-PDI was selfassembled on a flat Au substrate, but a distinct spectrum was obtained when 60 nm-sized Au or Ag nanoparticles were adsorbed on the pendent -NC groups of 1,4-PDI. This is definitely due to the electromagnetic coupling between the localized surface plasmon of Au or Ag nanoparticle with the surface plasmon polariton of the planar Au substrate, allowing an intense electric field to be induced in the gap between them. A higher Raman signal was observed when Ag nanoparticles were attached to 1,4-PDI, irrespective of the excitation wavelength, and especially the highest Raman signal was measured at the 632.8 nm excitation (with the enhancement factor on the order of ${\sim}10^3$), followed by the excitation at 568 and 514.5 nm, in agreement with the finite-difference timedomain calculation. From a separate potential-dependent SERS study, the voltage applied to the planar Au appeared to be transmitted without loss to the Au or Ag nanoparticles, and from the study of the effect of volatile organics, the voltage transmission from Au or Ag nanoparticles to the planar Au also appeared as equally probable to that from the planar Au to the Au or Ag nanoparticles in a nanogap electrode. The response of the Au-Ag nanogap to the external stimuli was, however, not the same as that of the Au-Au nanogap.