title: Surface-enhanced Raman scattering on nanoshells with tunable surface plasmon resonance.
abstract: Fabrication, characterization, and optical enhancement applications of bimetallic AgAu nanoparticles and nanoshells are reported. Nanoparticles with tunable surface plasmon resonances are synthesized at room temperature and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and photon correlation spectroscopy. The collective electron oscillation of the nanoparticles shows a controllable tunability in the 400-990 nm spectral range, in agreement with plasmon absorption calculated using Mie theory, providing an optimum substrate for surface plasmon-assisted enhanced spectroscopy. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering experiments show that the average enhancement factor obtained with nanoshells could be higher than those obtained with silver sols.
authors.affiliation: Materials and Surface Science Group, Faculty of Sciences, University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Ramon A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Puebla
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: G-Abbas
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Nazri
authors.forename: Ricardo F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Aroca