Effect of Au and Au@Ag core-shell nanoparticles on the SERS of bridging organic molecules

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with about 6 nm size were produced and stabilized with mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) film to produce a monolayer protected cluster (MPC) of AuS(CH(2))(2)COOH. 4-Aminothiophenol (ATP) molecules were introduced to the activated carboxylic acid ends of the film surrounding the AuNPs to produce AuS(CH(2))(2)CONHPhSH MPC. These modified AuNPs were again self-assembled with Au@Ag core-shell bimetallic nanoparticles via the -SH groups to produce an organic bridge between Au and Au@Ag metallic nanoparticles. An unusually strong enhancement of the Raman signals was observed and assigned to the plasmon coupling between the AuNPs and Au@Ag NPs bridged assembly. Formation of AuS(CH(2))(2)COOH and AuS(CH(2))(2)CONHPhSH clusters and AuS(CH(2))(2)CONHPhS(Au@Ag) assembly is confirmed by UV-Vis, reflection-absorption IR spectroscopy (RAIRS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), as well as by TEM analysis. The SERS activity of the AuNPs and Au@Ag NPs was tested using the HS(CH(2))(2)CONHPhSH molecule as a probe to compare the effectiveness of monometallic and bimetallic systems. SERS spectra show that Au@Ag bimetallic nanoparticles are very effective SERS-active substrates.