Enhanced SERS of the complex substrate using Au supported on graphene with pyridine and R6G as the probe molecules

Compared to free Au nanoparticles, about 2-fold enhancement in SERS for the complex substrate of graphene-supported Au was observed via theoretical simulations. With the excitations of incident light, SERRS will play a more important role, giving an enhancement factor up to 10-100 for the supported Au compared to isolated Au. Electrons will transfer from graphene to Au and intend to gather on the upper surface of Au nanoparticles, strengthening both EM and CM. Meanwhile, the transferred electrons could raise the 6s orbital energy level of Au clusters up, increasing the probability for charge transfer from metal to probe molecules.

Graphical abstractDownload high-res image (64KB)Download full-size imageHighlights► Electrons will transfer from graphene to Au. ► The transferred electrons intend to gather on the upper surface of Au clusters. ► The transferred electrons from the supported graphene are benefit to SERS.