Issue 10, 2015

Au@Ag core–shell nanocubes: epitaxial growth synthesis and surface-enhanced Raman scattering performance

Abstract

Novel Au@Ag core–shell nanocubes (NCs) were successfully prepared by the controlled epitaxial growth of Ag shells onto Au nanoellipsoids (NEs) in the presence of surfactants. The growth mechanism of the Au@Ag core–shell NCs was systematically investigated by analyzing their morphology, optical properties, and crystallography. The localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) characteristics and the electric field distribution of the Au@Ag core–shell NCs were studied using the finite element method (FEM) based on the plasmon hybridization theory. Compared with pure Ag NCs, the absorption spectrum of the Au@Ag core–shell NCs exhibits a red shift and a weak shoulder near 550 nm, and the notable enhancement of electric field occurs around the corners along the long-axis of the Au ellipsoidal core because of plasmonic resonant coupling. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of the Au@Ag core–shell NCs labeled with 4-mercaptobenzoic acid molecules reveals that the bimetallic core–shell NCs possess efficient SERS activity with an enhancement factor EF = 2.27 × 106, thus confirming the possibility of using the Au@Ag core–shell NCs as a stable probe for SERS-based biosensing applications.

Graphical abstract: Au@Ag core–shell nanocubes: epitaxial growth synthesis and surface-enhanced Raman scattering performance

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
04 Dec 2014
Accepted
20 Jan 2015
First published
23 Jan 2015

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2015,17, 6819-6826

Author version available

Au@Ag core–shell nanocubes: epitaxial growth synthesis and surface-enhanced Raman scattering performance

Y. Liu, J. Zhou, B. Wang, T. Jiang, H. Ho, L. Petti and P. Mormile, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2015, 17, 6819 DOI: 10.1039/C4CP05642F

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