Fabrication and SERS properties of Ag/Cu2S composite micro–nanostructures over Cu foil

A new kind of Ag/Cu2S composite micro/nanostructures has been prepared via a convenient galvanic reduction method. SEM images of these micro/nanostructures showed that Ag nanoparticles with the size of around 50–100 nm were well deposited on the surface of Cu2S micro/nanostructures. The SEM images also indicated that the Ag nanoparticles were preferentially grown on the big polygonal Cu2S microstructures, which could be explained by a localization of the electrons on the surface of the polygonal Cu2S microstructures after the electron transfer step. Owing to the introduction of Ag nanoparticles on the surface of Cu2S micro/nanostructures, the resulting Ag/Cu2S composite micro–nanostructures could be used as a versatile substrate for surface enhanced Raman scattering.

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► Ag/Cu2S composite micro/nanostructures were prepared by a galvanic reduction method.
► The SERS spectra of PATP and 4-MPy molecules were studied.
► The mechanism of the SERS effect was proposed.