Raman spectroscopy of isonicotinic acid adsorbed onto silver sol surface

Tuning the surface-enhanced Raman scattering effect to different molecular groups by switching the silver colloid solution pH

Silver colloids were produced for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) experiments using hydroxylamine hydrochloride as the reduction agent. The roles of hydroxylamine hydrochloride and bulk solution pH values in the formation of functional groups on the surface of silver colloids and in determining the dimensions of silver colloids were examined using Raman, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and zeta-size measurements. The spectrum of hydroxylamine hydrochloride reduced silver colloids was compared with the spectrum of sodium borohydride reduced colloids. The effect of colloid solution pH on SERS results was demonstrated using analyte molecules with biological significance, such as ribonucleic acid, egg albumin, L-alpha-phosphatidylcholine, and glucose. In general, it was shown that at high pH values the SERS effect was more pronounced due to the surface functional groups and colloid dimensions, and sharp, high spectral intensity values were obtained. At low pH values, protonation and rapid aggregation of colloids occurred and the surface chemistry was different. Depending on the analyte, bands were shifted, broadened, and/or the enhancement effect was reduced. Using Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and Streptococcus mutans it was also shown that by changing the solution bulk pH value, it was possible to enhance the response from different molecular groups in the bacteria and obtain different spectra from the same bacteria strain and the process was reversible. It was concluded that it is possible to produce site- or molecule-specific metal colloids and to tune the SERS effect to certain functional groups of analytes by means of the pH of colloidal suspension.

Infrared and Raman study of some isonicotinic acid metal(II) halide and tetracyanonickelate complexes

In this study the M(IN)(2)Ni(CN)(4) [where M: Co, Ni, and Cd, and IN: isonicotinic acid, abbreviated to M-Ni-IN] tetracyanonickelate and some metal halide complexes with the following stoichiometries: M(IN)(6)X(2) (M: Co; X: Cl and Br, and M: Ni; X: Cl, Br and I) and Hg(IN)X(2) (X: Cl, Br, and I) were synthesized for the first time. Certain chemical formulas were determined using elemental analysis results. The FT-IR and Raman spectra of the metal halide complexes were reported in the 4000-0 cm(-1) region. The FT-IR spectra of tetracyanonickelate complexes were also reported in the 4000-400 cm(-1) region. Vibrational assignments were given for all the observed bands. For a given series of isomorphous complexes, the sum of the difference between the values of the vibrational modes of the free isonicotinic acid and coordinated ligand was found to increase in the order of the second ionization potentials of metals. The frequency shifts were also found to be depending on the halogen. The proposed structure of tetracyanonickelate complexes consists of polymeric layers of /M-Ni(CN)(4)/(infinity) with the isonicotinic acid molecules bound directly to the metal atom.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy using silver-coated porous glass-ceramic substrates

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been studied using a silver-coated porous glass-ceramic material as a new type of substrate. The porous glass-ceramic is in the CaO-TiO2-P2O5 system prepared by controlled crystallization and subsequent chemical leaching of the dense glass-ceramic, leaving a solid skeleton with pores ranging in size from 50 nm to submicrometer. Silver was coated on the surface of the porous glass-ceramic by radio frequency (RF) sputtering or e-beam evaporation in vacuum. SERS spectra of excellent quality were obtained from several dyes and carboxylic acid molecules, including rhodamine 6G, crystal violet, isonicotinic acid, and benzoic acid, using this new substrate. This new substrate showed a good compatibility with these molecules. The porous glass ceramic with a nanometer-structured surface accommodated both test molecules and silver film. The absorbed molecules were therefore better interfaced with silver for surface-enhanced Raman scattering.