Enhanced semiconductor charge-transfer resonance: Unprecedented oxygen bidirectional strategy

Oxygen is one of the most abundant elements on earth, and even small amounts of oxygen can induce significant changes in material properties. In this study, we combined a non-oxide semiconductor molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) with an oxide semiconductor zinc oxide (ZnO), thereby simultaneously obtaining oxygen vacancies and oxygen incorporations through a novel oxidation-assisted strategy. This strategy amplified interactions between semiconductor substrates and probe molecules and increased charge-transfer resonance, thereby substantially improving the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) performance of semiconductor materials. The enhancement factor of MoS2@ZnO was increased to a value comparable to that of traditional metals, enabling it to detect methylene blue with a limit of detection as low as 10(-12) M. Additionally, a comparison sample (MoS2@ZnS) was examined to confirm the unique enhancement effect of the proposed strategy for SERS. The effect of the proposed oxygen bidirectional strategy on the SERS performance of semiconductor substrates can provide new frontiers in the development of ultrasensitive semiconductor technologies.

Automated summary

The study combined MoS2 and ZnO to enhance SERS performance, detecting methylene blue with a low detection limit. Comparison with a control sample confirmed the unique enhancement effect of the strategy on SERS.