Open AccessEnhanced efficient and sensitive SERS sensing via controlled Ag‐nanoparticle‐decorated 3D flower‐like ZnO hierarchical microstructure
Author(s) -
Wang Jun,
Ning Aifeng
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
micro and nano letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.25
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 1750-0443
DOI - 10.1049/mnl.2020.0416
Subject(s) - rhodamine 6g , materials science , substrate (aquarium) , raman scattering , nanotechnology , nanoparticle , microstructure , raman spectroscopy , rhodamine b , rhodamine , chemical engineering , metal organic framework , molecule , photocatalysis , fluorescence , organic chemistry , optics , composite material , chemistry , oceanography , physics , engineering , geology , catalysis , adsorption
Various sizes and morphologies of noble metal/zinc oxide hybrid materials have promising applications in surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Generally, organic agents used during the synthesis of metal nanoparticles will inexorably induce organic pollution on the surface of SERS substrate, resulting in a negative effect on detection sensitivity. Herein, a stable and clean 3D flower‐like ZnO/Ag hierarchical microstructure SERS substrate was designed and fabricated via a simple photocatalytic method. This synthetic strategy does not involve usage of any organic agents, which ensures the cleanness and free of impurities interferences. As anticipated, the as‐fabricated 3D flower‐like ZnO/Ag SERS substrates with high surface‐to‐volume ratio increased numerous hot spots, and exhibited excellent detection sensitivity to Rhodamine 6G. A linear relationship between the Raman intensity and the concentration of Rhodamine 6G ranging from 10 −11 to 10 −4 M was realised. This work demonstrated a performance‐enhanced SERS sensor based on microflower‐like ZnO@Ag hybrids, which provides a potential method to develop highly sensitive and stable SERS sensor for organic molecules detection.