Graphite oxide-coated Au nanoparticles for improved SERS sensing

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is an effective spectral analysis technique as its advantage of molecular fingerprint, ultra-sensitivity and non-contact. It is the most popular and easiest method to create SERS metal nanoparticles (NPs) combining magnetron sputtering deposition of noble metal with rapid annealing. In this study, we have demonstrated an approach to improve the SERS effect by using graphene oxide (GO) Au NPs composite structure. Here, we obtain the Au NPs coated SOI substrate prepared by magnetron sputtering 4 nm Au film and followed by rapid annealing treatment. The experimental results indicate that the SERS intensity is maximum of the Au NPs coated SOI substrate with the average particle diameter of 20 nm when the rapid annealing time is 30s and temperature is 500 degrees. Then, graphene oxide solution is spin coated on the Au NPs to form the GO-Au NPs composite structure. The morphology of GO-Au NPs have been characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Rhodamine 6G (R6G) is used as the probe molecule to detect the SERS intensity. The GO-Au NPs has an excellent SERS effect which can detect R6G as low as 10 -9 M. Besides, compared to the Au NPs without GO the GO-Au NPs has two times Raman intensity enhancement of bands at 774 cm -1 because of the GO improving the SERS properties through strong ability of adsorption the probe molecule and chemical enhancement effect. Therefore, the GO-Au NPs composite structure shows a promising future to detect low concentration material.