Enhanced Raman scattering on two-dimensional palladium diselenide

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors with atomic layers, and a flat and active surface provide an attractive platform for the study of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Many 2D layered materials, including graphene and transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD), have been exploited as potential Raman enhancers for SERS-based molecule sensing. Herein, atomically-thin palladium diselenide (PdSe₂) used as a SERS substrate for molecule detection was systematically studied. Stable Raman enhancement for molecules such as rhodamine 6G (R6G), crystal violet (CV), and rhodamine B (RhB) on few-layer PdSe₂ has been verified. A detection limit as low as 10^-9 M and an enhancement factor of 10⁵ for the R6G molecule on monolayer PdSe₂ are achieved. With the insertion of a thin Al₂O₃ layer, the Raman spectra confirm the predominant charge transfer mechanism for the large Raman enhancement. Furthermore, the strong thickness-dependent properties, good in-plane anisotropy and excellent air-stability of Raman enhancement are also explored for 2D PdSe₂. Our findings provide not only a promising Raman enhancement platform for sensing applications but also new insights into the chemical mechanism (CM) process of SERS.