Surface-enhanced Raman spectra of substances adsorbed on Ag0 clusters deposited on SiO2 submicron spheres prepared by the sol-gel method

Submicron silica spheres containing silver nanoparticles on their surfaces have been obtained by the sol-gel technology. The silver-doped matrices were immersed in solutions of various substances enabling the solute molecules to interact with surfaces of the Ag-0-doped silica spheres. Raman spectra of the Ag-0-doped matrices after impregnation in solutions of the solute molecules have been measured. The impregnated silica matrices which did not contain silver nanoparticles were used as a reference. These experiments have been performed in order to establish whether Raman signal enhancement could be obtained by adsorption of various solute molecules on the surface of Ag-0 inclusions in the sol-gel matrices analogously to the standard surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) method. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.