Development of RGO@MoS2@Ag ternary nanocomposites with tunable geometry structure for recyclable SERS detection

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) with promising photocatalytic activity has attracted great attention in constructing recyclable SERS substrate. Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was chose here to in-situ grow MoS2 nanoflowers and effectively adjust the active area of the substrate. After the decoration of Ag nanoparticles by photo-reduction, a sophisticated RGO@MoS2@Ag ternary nanocomposite with a maximizing SERS enhancement factor (EF) of 8.6 x 10(6) and a prominent solar photocatalytic efficiency was demonstrated. Such superior features of the nanocomposite were revealed to be endowed by the synergistic effect of the three components including the active sites of MoS2, the 'Schottky barrier' and 'hot spots' between MoS2 and Ag, together with the molecular enrichment surface and chemical enhancement ability of RGO. An ultra-sensitive SERS-based detection and a reliable photocatalytic degradation of mixed trace molecules were finally achieved by the developed optimal ternary nanocomposite, which can meet manifold requirements for the routine supervision of biochemical molecules.

Automated summary

The study demonstrated a ternary nanocomposite of MoS2, reduced graphene oxide, and silver nanoparticles, which showed high SERS enhancement factor and significant solar photocatalytic efficiency. The superior features of the nanocomposite were mainly attributed to the synergistic effect between MoS2, RGO, and silver, enabling ultra-sensitive SERS-based detection and reliable photocatalytic degradation.