Ag dendritic nanostructures for rapid detection of polychlorinated biphenyls based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering effect

We report a facile and efficient synthetic route for Ag dendritic nanostructures on Si wafer via an electroless deposition process. The formation of the Ag dendritic nanostructures is based on a self-assembled localized microscopic electrochemical cell model. These Ag dendritic nanostructures have exhibited very strong surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect using rhodamine 6G as probe molecules, and have been used as SERS substrate for detection of low concentration polychlorinated biphenyl-77 with fast time response. The Ag dendritic nanostructures reported here have potentials as SERS substrates for fast detecting other polychlorobiphenyls.