Ultrasonic-silver-rain preparation of SERS substrates

• A new chimie douce method of nanostructured silver substrate preparation for Surface-Enhanced-Raman-Spectroscopy is suggested.
• Thermochemical transformation of Ag2O interlacing rings deposited by ultrasonication gives hierarchic nanostructures under mild preparation conditions.
• The substrates are suitable for SERS studies of living erythrocytes.

A new two-step chimie douce method of substrate preparation for Surface-Enhanced-Raman-Spectroscopy (SERS) is suggested. The Ultrasonic Silver Rain (USR) approach includes a simple thermochemical transformation of a nutrient layer of Ag2O interlacing rings ultrasonically deposited from aqueous diaminsilver oxide complexes. Solid state decomposition of Ag2O under mild preparation conditions below 300 °C and for less than 5 min gives hierarchic nanostructures highly suitable for studies of living erythrocytes and some important analytes.

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