A new semiconductor-based SERS substrate with enhanced charge collection and improved carrier separation: CuO/TiO2 p-n heterojunction

In this paper, CuO/TiO2 p-n heterojunction was developed as a new surface enhanced Raman scat-tering (SERS) substrate to magnify Raman signal of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) molecule. In the heterojunction-molecule system, CuO as an electron capsule can not only offer more electrons to inject into the surface state energy level of TiO2 and consequently bring additional charge transfer, but also im-prove photogenerated carrier separation efficiency itself due to strong interfacial coupling in the interface of heterojunction, which together boost SERS performance of the heterojunction substrate. As expected, owing to the enhanced charge collection capacity and the improvement of photogenerated carrier separa-tion efficiency derived from internal electric field and strong interface coupling provided in the interface of heterojunction, this substrate exhibits excellent SERS detection sensitivity towards 4-MBA, with a de-tection limit as low as 1 x 10-10 mol/L and an enhancement factor of 8.87 x 10 6 .(c) 2023 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

Automated summary

In this study, CuO/TiO2 p-n heterojunction was developed as a new substrate for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) to amplify the Raman signal of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) molecule. The heterojunction-molecule system exhibits enhanced SERS performance due to the electron injection from CuO to TiO2 and improved photogenerated carrier separation efficiency through interfacial coupling. The substrate demonstrates excellent SERS detection sensitivity towards 4-MBA with a low detection limit and high enhancement factor.