Wavelength-scanned surface-enhanced Raman excitation spectroscopy

A detailed wavelength-scanned surface-enhanced Raman excitation spectroscopy (WS SERES) study of benzenethiol adsorbed on Ag nanoparticle arrays, fabricated by nanosphere lithography (NSL), is presented. These NSL-derived Ag nanoparticle array surfaces are both structurally well-characterized and extremely uniform in size. The WS SERES spectra are correlated, both spatially and spectrally, with the corresponding localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) spectra of the nanoparticle arrays. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra were measured in two excitation wavelength ranges: (1) 425-505 nm, and (2) 610-800 nm, as well as with the 532-nm line from a solid-state diode-pumped laser. The WS SERES spectra have line shapes similar to those of the LSPR spectra. The maximum SERS enhancement factor is shown to occur for excitation wavelengths that are blue-shifted with respect to the LSPR λ _max of adsorbate-covered nanoparticle arrays. Three vibrational modes of benzenethiol (1575, 1081, and 1009 cm ^-1) are studied simultaneously on one substrate, and it is demonstrated that the smaller Raman shifted peak shows a maximum enhancement closer to the LSPR λ ^max than that of a larger Raman shifted peak. This is in agreement with the predictions of the electromagnetic (EM) enhancement mechanism of SERS. Enhancement factors of up to ∼10 ⁸ are achieved, which is also in good agreement with our previous SERES studies.