Recyclable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) platform fabricated with Ag-decorated ZnSe nanowires and metamaterial

In surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), metal-semiconductor heterostructures have attracted a lot of interest because of their remarkable features. However, the use of organic substances in the fabrication of metal nanoparticles can result in contamination of the SERS substrate, which can negatively impact sensor perfor-mance. Here, we introduced new recyclable SERS substrates which include Ag-decorated ZnSe nanowires and hyperbolic metamaterial. The Ag-decorated ZnSe nanowires work as an external coupling structure for hyper-bolic metamaterials, due to this structure exhibiting significant plasmonic effects as well as unique optical features. There exists overlapping and physical interaction between metal and semiconductor nanowires, as a result, both resonance energy and hot electron were transferred. Rhodamine 6G (R6G), malachite green (MG), and adenosine were used to assess the SERS performance of synthesized Ag-decorated ZnSe, which showed outstanding stability and a sensitivity limit of 10-12 M. The nanostructure's self-cleaning feature was demon-strated through photocatalytic degradation of R6G and MG molecules under visible light, enabling it to be reused multiple times and showing that it was not limited to a single organic molecule. The bifunctional structure not only offers a unique way of boosting SERS efficiency but is also considerable for photocatalytic behavior.

Automated summary

This article introduces a new recyclable SERS substrate, which includes Ag-decorated ZnSe nanowires and hyperbolic metamaterial. The Ag-decorated ZnSe nanowires work as an external coupling structure for hyperbolic metamaterials, exhibiting significant plasmonic effects and unique optical features. The self-cleaning feature of the nanostructure is demonstrated through photocatalytic degradation of R6G and MG molecules.