Abstract
The effect of the ZrO2 crystal form on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity was studied. The ratio of the tetragonal (T) and monoclinic (M) phases of ZrO2 nanoparticles (ZrO2 NPs) was controlled by regulating the ratio of two types of additives in the hydrothermal synthesis method. The SERS intensity of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4–MBA) was gradually enhanced by changing the M and T phase ratio in ZrO2 NPs. The degree of charge transfer (CT) in the enhanced 4–MBA molecule was greater than 0.5, indicating that CT was the main contributor to SERS. The intensity of SERS was strongest when the ratio of the T crystal phase in ZrO2 was 99.7%, and the enhancement factor reached 2.21 × 104. More importantly, the proposed study indicated that the T and M phases of the ZrO2 NPs affected the SERS enhancement. This study provides a new approach for developing high-quality SERS substrates and improving the transmission efficiency of molecular sensors.
Highlights
Bing ZhaoAfter the phenomenon of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) was first reported in the mid-1970s, it attracted the attention of many scholars
We found that there is an interdependence between the crystal form of ZrO2
Diethanolamine with its strong chelating ability encourages the formation of T–ZrO2 crystals, whereas alkyl halide
Summary
After the phenomenon of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) was first reported in the mid-1970s, it attracted the attention of many scholars. As a fairly new spectral detection technology, SERS has been widely used in the fields of chemistry, physics, biology, and medicine because of its high sensitivity, nondestructive detection, molecular fingerprint information, rapid and simple operation, etc. Electromagnetic mechanism (EM) and chemical mechanism (CM) are widely used to explain the enhancement mechanisms of SERS [8,9,10]. Semiconductor materials have good optics, electrics, biocompatibility, high stability, and low cost compared to the metal substrates. They have greater research potential and application prospects [19]
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