Fabrication of silver nanoparticles/single-walled carbon nanotubes composite for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

A simple method of the fabrication of silver nanoparticles/single-walled carbon nanotubes (Ag/SWNTs) composite for surface-enhanced Raman scattering was presented. The morphology of Ag/SWNTs composite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The performance of the Ag/SWNTs composite as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) active substrate was evaluated via using 4-aminothiophenol (PATP) as the probe molecule. Compared with PATP on AgNPs film, the SERS signal of PATP was obviously improved on the Ag/SWNTs composite. Then, by examining the relative enhancement of the nontotally symmetric (b2) modes of PATP, this effect was shown to arise from a charge-transfer contribution between molecule and metal.

Graphical abstractA facile method was introduced to synthesize Ag/single-walled carbon nanotubes composite, which can be used as an effective SERS-active substrate.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload high-quality image (109 K)Download as PowerPoint slideResearch highlights► Furtherly, Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements for Ag/SWNTs composite were used to verify charge-transfer from Ag to SWNTs in the system. ► It was estimated the charge-transfer from Ag to SWNTs in PATP/Ag/SWNTs would augment the charge-transfer between PATP molecule and Ag, which enhanced selectively the b2 mode of PATP. ► It was the first time to introduce SWNTs to SERS substrate, and this study would have great significance to the design of new SERS substrate and research on SERS mechanism.