SERS-active silver nanoparticle aggregates produced in high-iron float glass by ion exchange process

Abstract Silver nanoparticles were produced in iron containing float glasses by silver–sodium ion exchange and post-annealing. In particular, the effect of the concentration and the oxidation state of iron in the host glass on the nanoparticle formation was studied. After the nanoparticle fabrication process, the samples were characterized by optical absorption measurements. The samples were etched to expose nanoparticle aggregates on the surface, which were studied by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The SERS-activity of these glass samples was demonstrated and compared using a dye molecule Rhodamine 6G (R6G) as an analyte. The importance of the iron oxidation level for reduction process is discussed. The glass with high concentration of Fe2+ ions was found to be superior in SERS applications of silver nanoparticles. The optimal surface features in terms of SERS enhancement are also discussed.

[1]  A. Berger,et al.  Small silver particles in glass surface layers produced by sodium-silver ion exchange — their concentration and size depth profile , 1991 .

[2]  M. Fleischmann,et al.  Raman spectra of pyridine adsorbed at a silver electrode , 1974 .

[3]  Hari Singh Nalwa,et al.  Handbook of nanostructured materials and nanotechnology , 2000 .

[4]  M Dubiel,et al.  Formation of silver particles and periodic precipitate layers in silicate glass induced by thermally assisted hydrogen permeation , 2001 .

[5]  P. Townsend,et al.  Formation of silver nanoparticles in soda–lime silicate glass by ion implantation near room temperature , 1999 .

[6]  G. Battaglin,et al.  Silver nanoclusters formation in ion-exchanged waveguides by annealing in hydrogen atmosphere , 1996 .

[7]  D. L. Jeanmaire,et al.  Surface raman spectroelectrochemistry: Part I. Heterocyclic, aromatic, and aliphatic amines adsorbed on the anodized silver electrode , 1977 .

[8]  Hongxing Xu,et al.  Interparticle coupling effects in nanofabricated substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering , 2001 .

[9]  M. Kerker,et al.  Founding fathers of light scattering and surface-enhanced Raman scattering. , 1991, Applied optics.

[10]  M. Stockman.  Nanoplasmonics: The physics behind the applications , 2011 .

[11]  Xiuchun Yang,et al.  X-ray absorption spectroscopy analysis of formation and structure of Ag nanoparticles in soda-lime silicate glass , 2003 .

[12]  Ari Tervonen,et al.  Glass‐embedded silver nanoparticle patterns by masked ion‐exchange process for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering , 2011 .

[13]  G. Mie.  Beiträge zur Optik trüber Medien, speziell kolloidaler Metallösungen , 1908 .

[14]  A. Polman,et al.  Formation mechanism of silver nanocrystals made by ion irradiation of ion-exchanged sodalime silicate glass , 2000 .

[15]  S. Thiel,et al.  Synthesis of nanosized silver particles in ion-exchanged glass by electron beam irradiation , 1997 .

[16]  C. D. Geddes,et al.  Editorial: Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence , 2002, Journal of Fluorescence.

[17]  L. Boatner,et al.  Nanocomposites formed by ion implantation: Recent developments and future opportunities , 2001 .

[18]  E. Fort,et al.  Surface enhanced fluorescence , 2008 .

[19]  Ari Tervonen,et al.  SERS-ACTIVE SILVER NANOPARTICLES IN ION-EXCHANGED GLASS , 2010 .

[20]  Katrin Kneipp,et al.  Surface-enhanced Raman scattering , 2006 .

[21]  D. Meisel,et al.  Adsorption and surface-enhanced Raman of dyes on silver and gold sols , 1982 .

[22]  Michael Vollmer,et al.  Optical properties of metal clusters , 1995 .

[23]  Ari Tervonen,et al.  Ag nanoparticles embedded in glass by two-step ion exchange and their SERS application , 2011 .

[24]  Y. Ozaki,et al.  In situ nucleation and growth of silver nanoparticles in membrane materials: a controllable roughened SERS substrate with high reproducibility , 2009 .

[25]  Paolo Mazzoldi,et al.  Silver nanocrystals in silica by sol-gel processing , 1996 .

[26]  P. Townsend,et al.  Fabrication and modification of metal nanocluster composites using ion and laser beams , 1994 .

[27]  R. Goodacre,et al.  Discrimination of bacteria using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. , 2004, Analytical chemistry.

[28]  A. Otto,et al.  Surface enhanced Raman scattering , 1983 .

[29]  D. Bergman,et al.  Self-similar chain of metal nanospheres as efficient nanolens , 2003, InternationalQuantum Electronics Conference, 2004. (IQEC)..

[30]  I. Tanahashi,et al.  Effects of heat treatment on Ag particle growth and optical properties in Ag/SiO_2 glass composite thin films , 1995 .