Simple, low-cost fabrication of highly uniform and reproducible SERS substrates composed of Ag–Pt nanoparticles

Abstract

Ag–Pt nanoparticles, grafted on Ge wafer, were synthesized by the galvanic replacement reaction based on their different potentials. Detailed characterization through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) and X-ray photo-elelctron spectroscopy (XPS) proved that Ag–Pt nanoparticles are composed of large Ag nanoparticles and many small Pt nanoparticles instead of an Ag–Pt alloy. When applied as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates to detect Rhodamine 6G (1 × 10−8 M) or Crystal violet (1 × 10−7 M) aqueous solution in the line mapping mode, all of the obtained relative standard deviation (RSD) values of the major characteristic peak intensities, calculated from the SERS spectra of 100 serial spots, were less than 10%. The fabrication process of the SERS substrate has excellent uniformity and reproducibility and is simple, low-cost and time-saving, which will benefit studies on the platinum-catalyzed reaction mechanisms in situ and widen the practical application of SERS.