Nonuniform Distribution of Capping Ligands Promoting Aggregation of Silver Nanoparticles for Use as a Substrate for SERS

Abstract

Citrate-reduced silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) are used extensively for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) studies, but are typically found to aggregate using an aggregation agent. This study is aimed at developing a simple, stable, and reproducible aggregated method for Ag-NPs without any aggregation agents in aqueous solutions. The ag- gregation is induced by the process of centrifugation, water washing and ultrasonication. A mechanism based on the nonuniform distribution of capping ligands is proposed to account for the aggregated structure formation. UV-Vis-NIR extinction spectra and TEM allowed us to identify the existence of Ag-NPs aggregation. Further, due to the polydis- perse mixture of Ag-NPs (20 - 65 nm) used in the present work, Ag-NPs are aggregated closely, which contribute to the observation of low-concentration SERS from the residual citrate layer or even the single-molecule SERS of R6G on aggregation. After the evaporation of droplet of Ag-NPs aggregation on the Si substrate, citrate or R6G could also be detected but with marked red- or blue-shifts.