Surface-enhanced Raman scattering studies on the adsorption of p-nitrobenzoic acid at Au electrode under different potential with ultraviolet excitation

The potential-dependent surface-enhanced Raman spectrum of adsorbed p-nitrobenzoic acid (PNBA) on the roughened Au electrode has been obtained by using ultraviolet (UV) excitation at 325 nm. The surface-enhanced Raman spectra of PNBA intensely changed when the voltage was in the rang of negative value, and the electrode potential at which the resonance (potential of maximum intensity) occurs varied when the vibrational mode changes, indicating that the PNBA molecules were chemisorbed on the roughened Au surface. The charge transfer (CT) mechanism could probably explain the experiment results in the present work.