Long Spiky Au-Ag Nanostar Based Fiber Probe for Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

The detection performances of noble metal-based surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) devices are determined by the compositions and geometries of the metal nanostructures, as well as the substrates. In the current study, long spiky Au-Ag alloy nanostars were synthesized, and both core diameters and spike lengths were controlled by Lauryl sulfobetaine concentrations (as the nanostructure growth skeleton). The long spiky star geometries were confirmed by transmission electron micrograph images. Elements energy dispersive spectrometer mapping confirmed that Au and Ag elements were inhomogeneously distributed in the nanostructures and demonstrated a higher Ag content at surface for potential better SERS performance. Selected synthesized spiky nanostars were uniformly assembled on multi-mode silica fiber for probe fabrication by silanization. The SERS performance were characterized using crystal violet (CV) and rhodamine 6G (R6G) as analyte molecules. The lowest detection limit could reach as low as 10(-8) M, with a 6.23 x 10(6) enhancement factor, and the relationship between analyte concentrations and Raman intensities was linear for both CV and R6G, which indicated the potential qualitative and quantitative molecule detection applications. Moreover, the fiber probes also showed good reproducibility and stability in the ambient atmosphere.

Automated summary

This study synthesized long spiky noble metal alloy nanostars and fabricated probes by attaching them uniformly on multi-mode silica fibers. The experiments demonstrated that the synthesized nanostars exhibited improved SERS performance, with a detection limit as low as 10(-8) M and an enhancement factor of 6.23 x 10(6). The fiber probes also showed good reproducibility and stability in ambient atmosphere, indicating their potential for qualitative and quantitative molecule detection applications.