Synthesis and SERS Performance of a Recyclable SERS Substrate Based on Ag NPs Coated TiO2 NT Arrays

Abstract

Titanium dioxide nanotube arrays (TiO2 NTA) are successfully fabricated via a simple method combine two processes: bottom-up hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanorods and displacement reaction of TiO2 NTA. Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) are decorated on TiO2 NTA by in situ Sn2+-mediated reduction of Ag(NH3)2 + to Ag NPs. The structure is characterized by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM). Ag NPs decorated TiO2 NTA (Ag-TiO2) is employed as a SERS-active substrate, which exhibits good SERS intensity and recyclability. The substrate of Ag-TiO2 shows good recyclability as the photo-catalytic property of TiO2, the arrays can clean themselves by photo catalytic degradation of target molecules adsorbed to the substrate under irradiation with UV light into inorganic small molecules.