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Large-scale fabrication of polymer/Ag core–shell nanorod array as flexible SERS substrate by combining direct nanoimprint and electroless deposition

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Abstract

We demonstrate a highly sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate, which consists of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) assembled on the surface of a nanopatterned polymer film. The fabrication route of a polymer/Ag core–shell nanorod (PACSN) array employed a direct nanoimprint technique to create a high-resolution polymer nanorod array. The obtained nanopatterned polymer film was subjected to electroless deposition to form a sea-cucumber-like Ag shell over the surface of the polymer nanorod. The morphology and structures of PACSNs were analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The as-synthesized PACSNs exhibited a remarkable SERS activity and Raman signal reproducibility to rhodamine 6G, and a concentration down to 10−12 M can be identified. The effect of electroless deposition time of Ag NPs onto the polymer nanorod surface was investigated. It was found that the electroless deposition time played an important role in SERS activity. Our results revealed that the combination of direct nanoimprint and electroless deposition provided a convenient and cost-effective way for large-scale fabrication of reliable SERS substrates without the requirement of expensive instruments.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61076042, 60607006, and 2011YQ16000205) and the National Key Technology R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2009BAH49B01).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, School of Optical and Electronic Information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430074, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China

    Sisi Liu, Zhimou Xu, Tangyou Sun, Wenning Zhao, Xinghui Wu, Zhichao Ma, Haifeng Xu & Jian He

  2. Chemistry Department, Huazhong Normal University, 430081, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China

    Cunhua Chen

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  1. Sisi Liu
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  2. Zhimou Xu
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  3. Tangyou Sun
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  4. Wenning Zhao
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  5. Xinghui Wu
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  6. Zhichao Ma
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  9. Cunhua Chen
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Correspondence to Zhimou Xu.

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Liu, S., Xu, Z., Sun, T. et al. Large-scale fabrication of polymer/Ag core–shell nanorod array as flexible SERS substrate by combining direct nanoimprint and electroless deposition. Appl. Phys. A 115, 979–984 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-013-7917-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-013-7917-7

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