Surface-enhanced
Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has been explored by
the most diverse areas of research over the past 40 years, with more
special attention from analytical chemistry. Although there is a great
consensus that there are two mechanisms that contribute most to the
observation of the phenomenon (electromagnetic (EM) and charge transfer
(CT)), several anomalies are observed, especially when studying complexes
of transition metals. In this article, we present a theoretical and
experimental study of Raman and SERS of an oxo–triruthenium
acetate cluster ([Ru3O (CH3COO)6(py)2(pytpy)]), where it was possible to observe one of these “anomalies”
of the SERS effect, in this case, an unexpected enhancement of the
vibrational stretching mode of the oxo group. This cluster had its
electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical properties studied by cyclic
voltammetry and electronic spectroscopy in the visible and near-infrared,
where it was possible to observe the fully reversible waves of the
ruthenium sites (separated by 1.00 V) and the terpyridinic ligand
and how the absorption of this complex varies drastically when reduced
electrochemically. The molecular orbitals and electronic transitions
of this cluster were calculated by time-dependent density-functional
theory (TDDFT), where it can be noted that the HOMO orbitals are almost
exclusively composed of the atomic orbitals of ruthenium and the LUMO
orbitals can be composed of a mixture of ruthenium orbitals and acetate
ligands, as well as terpyridine. From the TDDFT calculations and the
transitions energies obtained, the complex resonant Raman and Raman
spectra were simulated using different excitation wavelengths (696,
785, and 1064 nm), where an unexpected intensification of oxygen stretching
at the Ru3O center at 700 cm–1 was observed
considering the excitation at 785 nm, even though there was no expected
transition. The experimental SERS spectra of the complex in two redox
states (Ru3
III, III, III and Ru3
III, III, II) were obtained experimentally
using gold and silver nanoparticles with an excitation wavelength
laser at 785 nm, where a very intense signal at 700 cm–1, for the Ru3
III, III, II redox state,
was observed. The simulation of electronic states by TDDFT and SERS
spectra by DFT, considering an Au20 cluster adduct, showed
an intensification of the entire complex, with great emphasis on the
Ru3O center and the 700 cm–1 mode that,
however, was not as intense as the results obtained experimentally,
indicating an anomalous intensification.