A green approach for the synthesis of silver dendrites and their superior SERS performance

Silver dendrites were prepared using a facile in situ reduction method. The structures and morphologies of the products were investigated using a scanning electron microscope and an UV-vis spectrometer. The as-synthesized silver dendrites shown significant surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity for 4-mercaptobenzoic acid and a detection limitation of 1 × 10−8 M was obtained. The proposed reason for their superior SERS performance is estimated to be the contribution of the large amount of branches and tips, where enhanced electromagnetic fields exist. Such novel dendrite structures may find further application in the practical biological medicine detection.