Development of self-cleaning SERS-active nanostructures based on ZnO nanorods and Ag nanoparticles

Abstract

This work demonstrates the possibility of using a combination of zinc oxide nanorods with silver nanoparticles as a self-cleaning SERS substrate. In addition to Raman scattering enhancement such structures demonstrate the self-cleaning effect during UV treatment. The ZnO nanorods (NRs) array was synthesized on a ZnO seed layer by the hydrothermal method. The Ag nanoparticles (NPs) array was formed by vacuum thermal evaporation over the ZnO NRs. Rhodamine-B 230 μM solution has been detected using the formed SERS-substrates without additional mathematical processing of the Raman spectra. Subsequent UV radiation treatment showed a 3-fold decrease in the intensity of the spectral peaks of the analyte.