Facile electrochemical surface-alloying and etching of Au wires to enable high-performance substrates for surface enhanced Raman scattering

Yawen Zhan; Guobin Zhang; Junda Shen; Binbin Zhou; Chenghao Zhao; Junmei Guo; Ming Wen; Zhilong Tan; Lirong Zheng; Jian Lu; Yang Yang Li

Nano Materials Science (Jun 2024)

Facile electrochemical surface-alloying and etching of Au wires to enable high-performance substrates for surface enhanced Raman scattering

Yawen Zhan,
Guobin Zhang,
Junda Shen,
Binbin Zhou,
Chenghao Zhao,
Junmei Guo,
Ming Wen,
Zhilong Tan,
Lirong Zheng,
Jian Lu,
Yang Yang Li

Affiliations

Yawen Zhan: Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
Guobin Zhang: Shenzhen Key Laboratory on Power Battery Safety Research and Shenzhen Geim Graphene Center, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, China
Junda Shen: Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
Binbin Zhou: Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
Chenghao Zhao: Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
Junmei Guo: Kunming Institute of Precious Metals, Sino-platinum Metals Co., Ltd., Kunming, Yunan Province, China
Ming Wen: Kunming Institute of Precious Metals, Sino-platinum Metals Co., Ltd., Kunming, Yunan Province, China
Zhilong Tan: Kunming Institute of Precious Metals, Sino-platinum Metals Co., Ltd., Kunming, Yunan Province, China
Lirong Zheng: Institute of High Energy Physics, Beijing, 100049, China; Corresponding author.
Jian Lu: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; Centre for Advanced Structural Materials, City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, 8 Yuexing 1st Road, Shenzhen Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, China; Corresponding author. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
Yang Yang Li: Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; Corresponding author. Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 6, no. 3
pp. 305 – 311

Abstract

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Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is a nondestructive technique for rapid detection of analytes even at the single-molecule level. However, highly sensitive and reliable SERS substrates are mostly fabricated with complex nanofabrication techniques, greatly restricting their practical applications. A convenient electrochemical method for transforming the surface of commercial gold wires/foils into silver-alloyed nanostructures is demonstrated in this report. Au substrates are treated with repetitive anodic and cathodic bias in an electrolyte of thiourea, in a one-pot one-step manner. X-rays absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy confirms that the AuAg alloy is induced at the surface. The unique AuAg alloyed surface nanostructures are particularly advantageous when served as SERS substrates, enabling a remarkably sensitive detection of Rhodamine B (a detection limit of 10−14 M, and uniform strong response throughout the substrates at 10−12 M).

Published in Nano Materials Science

ISSN: 2589-9651 (Online)
Publisher: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
Country of publisher: China
LCC subjects: Technology: Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
Website: https://www.keaipublishing.com/en/journals/nano-materials-science/

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