The chemical origins of sers effects

Abstract

A review of microscopic and spectroscopic data for silver electrode surfaces exhibiting surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), indicates a correlation between the observation of SERS and laser surface damage. Composition and morphology within the laser zone differ from the remainder of the surface. Therefore, silver surface enhancement factors estimated from assumed coverage and roughness parameters for non-illuminated surface zones are generally unjustified. To facilitate further elucidation of SERS effects from silver electrodes, a classification of enhanced scattering systems is proposed: I. Carbonizable adsorbates; II-Carbon-overlayered surfaces; III. Non-carbonizable adsorbates; IV. Non-enhanced adsorbates, and V. Resonant adsorbates. Show more