In surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) detection,
the structure
of the Raman-scattering substrate is critical to the sensitivity and
stability of the detector. Herein, molybdenum nitride (MoN) porous
structures with a well-defined hexagonal prism shape were synthesized
via a precursor nitriding route. As a typical metallic transition-metal
nitride (TMN), these molybdenum nitride porous hexagonal prisms exhibit
a rare strong SPR effect in the visible region, with a resonance peak
centered at 534 nm. Benefiting from the strong SPR effect and their
huge surface area and porosity, these MoN porous hexagonal prisms
exhibit surface-enhanced Raman scattering effects comparable to those
of noble metals, with a Raman enhancement factor of 5.5 × 106. More importantly, these MoN SERS substrates exhibit ultrahigh
chemical stabilities that noble metal and semiconductor substrates
do not possess, which can prevent corrosion by strong acids, alkalis,
and high-temperature oxidation.