Surface enhanced Raman scattering of Ag or Au nanoparticle-decorated reduced graphene oxide for detection of aromatic molecules

We report a method for fabrication of an efficient surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate by combination of metallic nanostructures and graphene, which shows dramatic Raman enhancement and efficient adsorption of aromatic molecules. As an example, the fabricated Ag or Au nanoparticle (NP)-decorated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on Si substrate is used as an efficient SERS substrate to detect the adsorbed aromatic molecules with a low detection limit at nM level. Systematic studies on the effects of NP size and substrate morphology on Raman enhancement are presented. This method might be useful for the future application in detection of biomolecules, such as DNA and proteins.