Ultrathin Graphene Oxide Sheets Wrapped MoO₂ Nanoparticles with Molecule Enrichment Function for Sensitive SERS...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates using noble metal-free materials are gaining attention due to their cost-effectiveness, stability, and sensitivity.
• Enhancing the SERS sensitivity of non-noble metal materials is crucial for advanced detection applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel SERS substrate by integrating ultrathin graphene oxide (GO) sheets with plasmonic Molybdenum dioxide nanoparticles (MoO2-NPs).
• To improve the detection sensitivity of SERS by leveraging the synergistic effects of GO's adsorption properties and MoO2-NPs' plasmonic hotspots.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of an ultrathin-GO/MoO2-NP hybrid by wrapping highly surface-roughened MoO2 nanospheres with GO sheets.
• Characterization of the hybrid material's structure and SERS performance.
• Testing the substrate's sensitivity using rhodamine 6G (R6G) as a model analyte.

Main Results:

• The ultrathin-GO/MoO2-NP hybrid demonstrated a high SERS enhancement factor of approximately 1.12 × 10^8.
• The substrate exhibited excellent spectral homogeneity with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 9.7%.
• A low detectable concentration limit of approximately 10 pM for rhodamine 6G was achieved, indicating high SERS sensitivity.

Conclusions:

• The fabricated GO/MoO2-NP hybrid effectively enhances SERS sensitivity through molecular enrichment near plasmonic hotspots.
• The material exhibits excellent structural and chemical stability, making it suitable for practical applications.
• This noble metal-free SERS substrate holds significant potential for the sensitive detection of trace chemical molecules.