Triggering gold nanoparticles formation on a quartz surface by nanosecond pulsed laser irradiation

A new direct and straightforward method is proposed to synthesize bare Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) on a quartz surface by nanosecond 532 nm pulsed laser irradiation of a quartz surface in contact with Au(iii) precursor solution. The characterisation by XPS, UV-Vis, SEM and AFM measurements demonstrate the formation of bare Au NPs anchored on the quartz surface with a mean height of 27 ± 10 nm localized in the laser irradiation area. The main features of this approach are their simplicity, quick fabrication and the large surface area covered by Au NPs. The absence of ligands/stabilizing agents on the Au NPs makes this substrate very suitable for its direct surface modification opening the range of applications in biology, medicine, sensing, catalysis, among others. As a proof of concept, the capabilities and advantages of this substrate as Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) platform were tested demonstrating the absence of any Raman signal overlapping with the analyte in the whole spectral range.