High Raman-to-fluorescence ratio of Rhodamine 6G excited with 532 nm laser wavelength using a closely packed, self-assembled monolayer of silver nanoparticles.

Abstract

A highly efficient Raman-to-fluorescence ratio of Rhodamine 6G is obtained by means of 532 nm laser wavelength, which is in close proximity of the dye's absorption maximum. Closely packed, gap-filled self-assembled monolayers of silver nanoparticles were produced to observe the Raman signals of Rhodamine 6G. Two mechanisms contribute to detect the Raman signals of the fluorescent sample: surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and nanomaterial surface energy transfer (NSET). Self-assembled monolayers of silver nanoparticles with different coverage densities and also those filled with probe molecules were prepared through variations of the substrate's immersion time in a nanoparticle solution and drying the substrate, respectively. Examination of the effects of these two factors on the plasmonic response and SERS efficiency of the substrate revealed that in a gap-filled dense coverage, near-field interactions dominate, which remarkably increase the Raman-to-fluorescence ratio (RFR). To have a perfect dense coverage, the efficient immersion time was obtained at about 48 h. Drying the substrates also caused further enhancement in RFR through filling interparticle spaces with dye molecules and, accordingly, an increase in NSET efficiency.