title: Silver clusters onto nanosized colloidal silica as novel surface-enhanced Raman scattering active substrates.
abstract: A new method is proposed for obtaining surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active substrates by photochemical reduction of silver nitrate onto colloidal silica. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy are employed to investigate the nanoscale structure of the materials. High quality SERS spectra are obtained from different organic ligands to check the efficiency of these substrates. A marked stability of the colloidal suspension is ensured by the scarce tendency of the Ag-doped silica particles to aggregate by either aging or adsorption of ligand.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Firenze, Via della Lastruccia 3, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy. muniz@chim.unifi.it
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muniz-Miranda
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D003102:Colloids; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000379:methods*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008863:Microspheres; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010316:Particle Size; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D003102:Colloids; D012834:Silver; D012822:Silicon Dioxide