Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering from Dye Molecules in Silicon Nanowire Structures Decorated by Gold Nanoparticles

Abstract

Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) prepared by metal-assisted chemical etching of crystalline silicon wafers followed by deposition of plasmonic gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) were explored as templates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) from probe molecules of Methylene blue and Rhodamine B. The filling factor by pores (porosity) of SiNW arrays was found to control the SERS efficiency, and the maximal enhancement was observed for the samples with porosity of 55%, which corresponded to dense arrays of SiNWs. The obtained results are discussed in terms of the electromagnetic enhancement of SERS related to the localized surface plasmon resonances in Au-NPs on SiNW’s surfaces accompanied with light scattering in the SiNW arrays. The observed SERS effect combined with the high stability of Au-NPs, scalability, and relatively simple preparation method are promising for the application of SiNW:Au-NP hybrid nanostructures as templates in molecular sensorics.

Magneto-plasmonic bionanocomposites for on-site SERS detection of water contaminants

“…20,21 Several studies have explored magneto-plasmonic nanostructures of different types, typically including plasmonic Ag/Au NPs and magnetic iron oxides, with different shapes, such as core-shell, core-satellite, non-spherical and multi-functionalized MNPs. 20,21,29,30 Silver nanostructures might exhibit better SERS sensitivity and are more affordable, 31,32 but in comparison to Au NPs, they are not so chemically stable and biocompatible. This is of relevance when considering applications that require analytical-kits with longer shelf-life time, such as on site analysis in remote regions of the globe.…”

“…This is of relevance when considering applications that require analytical-kits with longer shelf-life time, such as on site analysis in remote regions of the globe. 31,33 Moreover, by adjusting the size, shape, and concentration of Au NPs on the surfaces of magnetic-based nanocomposites, it is possible to create new materials with unique properties for SERS applications. 33 The assembly of the magneto-plasmonic heterostructures has been mediated by chemical modification at the particles' surfaces, which might involve inorganic shells or organic coatings.…”

Design of Ag/TiO2/Ag Composite Nano-Array Structure with Adjustable SERS-Activity

“…Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been widely used since it was discovered in 1974 because of its non-destructive, high sensitivity, and high selectivity [ 1 , 2 ]. It has broad and great potential for applications in many fields such as biochemistry [ 3 , 4 , 5 ], chemical monitoring [ 5 , 6 ], surface science [ 6 ], and elucidation of the structural dynamics of molecular transformations [ 7 ].…”

Facile Microwave Assisted Synthesis of Silver Nanostars for Ultrasensitive Detection of Biological Analytes by SERS

“…The supporting information can be downloaded at: . References [ 11 , 16 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 ] are cited in the supplementary materials.…”