title: Field-assisted synthesis of SERS-active silver nanoparticles using conducting polymers.
abstract: A gradient of novel silver nanostructures with widely varying sizes and morphologies is fabricated on a single conducting polyaniline-graphite (P-G) membrane with the assistance of an external electric field. It is believed that the formation of such a silver gradient is a synergetic consequence of the generation of a silver ion concentration gradient along with an electrokinetic flow of silver ions in the field-assisted model, which greatly influences the nucleation and growth mechanism of Ag particles on the P-G membrane. The produced silver dendrites, flowers and microspheres, with sharp edges, intersections and bifurcations, all present strong surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) responses toward an organic target molecule, mercaptobenzoic acid (MBA). This facile field-assisted synthesis of Ag nanoparticles via chemical reduction presents an alternative approach to nanomaterial fabrication, which can yield a wide range of unique structures with enhanced optical properties that were previously inaccessible by other synthetic routes.
authors.affiliation: C-PCS, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA. hwang@lanl.gov.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Sea-Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Nathan H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Mack
authors.forename: Stephen K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Doorn
authors.forename: Darrick J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Xijiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Hsing-Lin
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000814:Aniline Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D001565:Benzoates / Q000737:chemistry; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000814:Aniline Compounds; D001565:Benzoates; D011108:Polymers; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; C416807:polyaniline; C013594:4-mercaptobenzoate; D012834:Silver; D006108:Graphite