Titanium Dioxide Based Substrate for Optical Monitors in Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Analysis

An optical monitor was investigated for in situ surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) analysis. This optical monitor consists of a solid surface such as a glass plate coated with TiO2 and covered with a sllver layer. The TiO2 provides the necessary surface submicrometer roughness for the SERS process; the nominal particle diameter of TiO2 used in this study is 0.2 μm. The effect of substrate conditions such as sllver thickness and amount of TiO2 on SERS intensity was Investigated. Other experimental parameters including the solvent, the laser power, and the excitation geometry were found to have an effect on the SERS intensity of the model compound in solution. It was also shown that the solution SERS signal obtained with this method was very stable with time, and the SERS intensity did not appear to be affected significantly by exposure to laser radiation. The analytical figures of merit of this technique such as spectral features, signal reproducibility, and limits of detection were investigated to demonstrate the analytical potential of this new substrate that can be used as an optical monitor for in situ analysis of liquid samples. © 1989, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

Duke Scholars

Author Tuan Vo-Dinh Biomedical Engineering