Abstract

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been widely reported to improve the sensitivity of Raman spectra. Ordinarily, the laser is focused on the sample to measure the Raman spectrum. The size of the focused light spot is comparable with that of micro-nano structures, and the number of micro-nano structures contained in the light spot area (defined as duty cycle) will severely affect the spectrum intensity. In this study, flower-like silver nanostructures were fabricated with a soft lyotropic liquid crystal template in order to investigate the effect of duty cycle. They were observed under a scanning electron microscope, and their spectrum enhancement factor was computed with the obtained Raman spectrum. Then, their duty cycles were measured using a SERS substrate at different locations. A formula was derived to represent the relation between the duty cycle of the nanoflowers and the Raman spectral intensity. This work could promote the actual applications of SERS in high-sensitivity spectrum testing.

Highlights

  • Raman spectra have been widely used in many fields, such as analytical sciences [1,2,3,4], surface sciences [5,6,7], and biological sciences [8,9,10,11,12]

  • Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been widely explored because it can be used to improve the sensitivity of Raman spectra [13,14,15]

  • SERS materials may be fabricated through lithography, etching, and other techniques, and their nanostructures have a periodic arrangement [32,33,34]

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Summary

Introduction

Raman spectra have been widely used in many fields, such as analytical sciences [1,2,3,4], surface sciences [5,6,7], and biological sciences [8,9,10,11,12]. SERS materials may be fabricated through lithography, etching, and other techniques, and their nanostructures have a periodic arrangement [32,33,34] These materials have a stable signal enhancement and a high spectrum repeatability compared with those of the randomly distributed SERS materials, but they are costly and have a complicated fabrication process. Molecules 2021, 26, 6522 nanostructures have a periodic arrangement [32,33,34] These materials have a stable signal enhancement and a high spectrum repeatability compared with those of the rando mofl1y2 distributed SERS materials, but they are costly and have a complicated fabrication process. IInn tthhiiss ssttuuddyy, the surface enhancement effect of a SERS substrate withh ddiiffferent duty ccyycclleess ooff a nanostructure material was investigated. TThhee dduuttyy ccyyccllee ooff tthhee nnaannoommaatteerriiaallsswwaassmmeeaassuurreedd, ,aannddththeererlealtaiotinonbebtewtweeenendudtuytcyyccyleclaenadnsdpescpterca-l tirnatleinnstietynswitayswdaesscdreibscerdibbeydobbytaoinbtinaigniitnsgciotrsrceosprroensdpoinngdfionrgmfourlma. ula

Materials
Fabrication of Flower-like Silver Nanostructures
Characterization
SERS Enhancement Factor Calculation
Test and Computation of the Duty Cycle
Findings
Effect of Duty Cycle on Spectral Intensity
Full Text
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