New electrochemical procedure for obtaining surface enhanced Raman scattering active polythiophene films on platinum

A new electrochemical procedure for obtaining Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) spectra of silver islands polybithiophene composite films is described. During the electropolymerization process which consists to use silver dodecylsulfate micellar aqueous solution mixed with bithiophene and LiClO4, silver cations are reduced, thus giving metallic silver particles embedded within the polybithiophene (PbT) film. Both doped and undoped PbT species display SERS spectra with exaltation factors varying between 40 and 200 with respect to the film prepared in sodium dodecylsulfate. Vibrational characterization of both doped and undoped species show that the amount of the polymer structural defects are more important in the oxidized species than in the reduced ones. This general method allows to synthesize various polymeric films displaying SERS effect and appears very promising for the structural study of these materials.