Investigation of 1D Siliver Nanoparticle Arrays for Use as Molecule Concentration-Specific SERS Substrates

Abstract EN

One-dimensional arrays of silver nanoparticles with a particle size of 10.5 nm and interparticle spacing of 8.5 nm were fabricated by depositing nanoparticles in gas phase on block copolymer self-assembled templates.

The substrate showed a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) enhancement factor as high as 1×107 with good reproducibility and stability.

The dependence of the average enhancement factor and the SERS intensity on the packing density of the analyte molecules were investigated.

For a tiny amount of analytes in the range of 1×10-14 to 3×10-13 mol/mm2, the SERS signal showed a linear dependence on the molecule packing density on a logarithmic scale, with a slope of about 1.25.

The substrates are promising for quantitative detection of trace level molecules.