Abstract
The use of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) as an analytical technique continues to grow, but questions about its viability remain. This paper addresses the concern about the long-term stability of the surfaces used with the SERS technique. We have studied the long-term stability of Ag surfaces coated with three different thiol compounds. For this study, we have used 1-propanethiol, 1-dodecanethiol, and p -cresolthiol to coat the Ag surfaces. These surfaces showed long-term stabilities of over a month with minimal surface degradation. In order to mimic a realistic application of SERS, we stored the coated surfaces in a solution of water. Sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) was added to maintain consistent surface wetting conditions so that reproducible results were obtainable on a day-to-day basis. Spatial heterogeneity of the surfaces and coating was analyzed with a fiber-optic Raman system. The spatial heterogeneity of the surfaces explains the day-to-day variations observed in the detection when the same portion of the surface used for analysis varies from day to day.
PDF Article
More Like This
Cited By
You do not have subscription access to this journal. Cited by links are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an Optica member, or as an authorized user of your institution.
Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Login to access Optica Member Subscription