Abstract
A new method to fabricate an Au-rich interconnected ligament substrate by dealloying the Au-based metallic glass ribbon for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) applications was investigated in this study. Specifically, three substrates, Au film, Au-based metallic glass ribbon, and dealloyed Au-based metallic glass ribbon, were studied. The dealloyed surface showed ligament nanostructure with protruding micro-islands. Based on the field emission scanning electron microscopy, reflection and scattering measurements, the dealloyed Au-based metallic glass provided a large surface area, multiple reflections, and numerous fine interstices to produce hot spots for SERS enhancements. The SERS signal of analyte, p-aminothiophenol, in the micro-island region of dealloyed Au-based metallic glass was about 2 orders of magnitude larger than the flat Au film. Our work provides a new method to fabricate the inexpensive and high SERS enhancements substrates.
Highlights
Plasmonics has been an important concept in materials science due to the advancement of fabrication technologies in recent several decades
We developed a new method to fabricate a substrate with a large surface area and Au-rich interconnected ligaments by dealloying the Au-based metallic glass ribbon (Au55Cu25Si20 system) for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) applications
It is worth noting that dealloying of AuCuAgPdSi metallic glass ribbon has been performed in HNO3 solution to result in a nanoporous Au ligament structure, which gave rise to excellent SERS performance using pyridine as probe molecule[27,28,29]
Summary
Plasmonics has been an important concept in materials science due to the advancement of fabrication technologies in recent several decades. It is worth noting that dealloying of AuCuAgPdSi metallic glass ribbon has been performed in HNO3 solution to result in a nanoporous Au ligament structure, which gave rise to excellent SERS performance using pyridine as probe molecule[27,28,29]. This strong SERS enhancement was attributed to the localized enhanced electromagnetic fields around nano-sized ligaments, the electromagnetic coupling between ligaments, and the trapped SERS sensitive molecules[27]. Compared with dealloying of crystalline alloys, dealloying of metallic glasses would yield a more uniform nanoporous structure because metallic glasses are free from grain boundaries and other crystalline defects[27]
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