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Si/TiO2/Ag Multistorey Structures with Interfacial Charge Transfer for a Recyclable Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering
Jieyi Cai1, Zhezhe Wang1,2,3, Siyi Jia1
1College of Physics and Energy, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|March 9, 2022
Summary
Highly ordered TiO2/Ag bilayer structures on silicon wafers enable enhanced Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) detection. This advanced substrate demonstrates superior sensitivity and stability for trace analysis.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Spectroscopy
Background:
- Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) requires substrates with efficient electromagnetic (EM) and charge transfer (CT) enhancement mechanisms.
- Optimizing the interfacial properties of nanostructured materials is crucial for improving SERS sensitivity and reproducibility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate highly ordered TiO2/Ag bilayer structures on p-type silicon wafers.
- To investigate the interfacial charge transfer (CT) and its synergistic effect with EM enhancement in Si/TiO2/Ag structures.
- To explore the influence of silver nanoparticle size distribution on SERS performance and self-cleaning properties.
Main Methods:
- Photolithography and electrochemical self-assembly for fabricating Si/TiO2/Ag structures.
- Study of interfacial charge transfer (CT) and work function alignment.
- Three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (3D FDTD) simulations to analyze CT-EM enhancement.
- Investigation of silver nanoparticle size effects on SERS and self-cleaning.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated a combined CT-EM enhancement mechanism where electron transfer induces free electron resonance, boosting EM performance.
- Optimized silver nanoparticle size distribution for enhanced SERS properties and self-cleaning.
- Achieved superior sensitivity, reproducibility, and stability in the Si/TiO2/Ag SERS substrate.
- Detected trace concentrations of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) as low as 10^-15 M with an enhancement factor (EF) of ~8.9 × 10^13.
- Obtained a relative standard deviation (RSD) of ~4.7% at 1511 cm^-1, indicating excellent reproducibility.
Conclusions:
- The highly ordered Si/TiO2/Ag multistorey structure effectively integrates CT and EM mechanisms for superior SERS performance.
- The developed SERS substrate shows significant potential for practical applications requiring rapid trace determination.
- The findings pave the way for advanced SERS applications in various analytical fields.
