3D Hotspot Matrix of Au Nanoparticles on Au Nanostructures with a Spacer Layer of Dithiol Molecules for Highly Sensitive Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Abstract

Engineering of efficient plasmonic hotspots has been receiving great attention to enhance the sensitivity of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). In the present study, we propose a highly sensitive SERS platform based on Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) on Au nanostructures (AuNSs) with a spacer layer of 1,4-benzenedimethanethiol (BDMT). The three-dimensional (3D) hotspot matrix has been rationally designed based on the idea of employing 3D hotspots with a vertical nanogap between AuNSs and AuNPs after generating large area two-dimensional hotspots of AuNSs. AuNP@BDMT@AuNSs are fabricated by functionalizing BDMT on AuNSs and then immobilizing AuNPs. The Raman signal of the AuNP@BDMT@AuNSs is approximately twelve times higher than that of AuNSs at 100 nM of rhodamine 6G. The AuNP@BDMT@AuNSs are then employed to detect thiram, which is used as a fungicide, with a detection limit of 13 nM. Our proposed platform thus shows significant potential for use in highly sensitive SERS sensors.