Double-potentiostatic electrodeposition of Ag nanoflowers on ITO glass for reproducible surface-enhanced (resonance) Raman scattering application

Herein, we first report electrodeposition of dense (1.3×  109 cm−2) and uniform (RSD of size is about 11%) Ag nanoflowers on ITO glass by a double-potentiostatic method without any surfactant. Raman spectra showed that the Ag nanoflowers with multiple petals on ITO glass exhibited excellent SER(R)S ability. It could accommodate a considerable range of sample concentrations (10−10 M at least for rhodamine 6G). The smallest RSD of the intensities for 1651 cm−1 Raman band of rhodamine 6G was about 14.1%, indicating good reproducibility. Through the time-dependent morphological evolution investigation and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analysis, the formation of petals was ascribed to the slow reduction rate and high nucleation driving force by electrical field concentration.

► Electrodeposition of dense (1.3 × 109 cm−2) and uniform (RSD of size is about 11%) Ag nanoflowers on ITO glass was first achieved by a double-potentiostatic method without any surfactant.
► Raman spectra showed that the Ag nanoflowers with multiple petals on ITO glass exhibited excellent SE(R)RS enhancement.
► It could accommodate a considerable range of sample concentrations (10−10 M at least for rhodamine 6G).
► The smallest RSD of the intensities for 1651 cm−1 Raman band of rhodamine 6G was about 14.1%, indicating good reproducibility.