Exploring the Efficacy of Platinum and Palladium Nanostructures for Organic Molecule Detection via Raman Spectroscopy

Noble transition metals, like palladium (Pd) and platinum (Pt), have been well-known for their excellent catalytic and electrochemical properties. However, they have been considered non-active for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). In this work, we explore the scattering contributions of Pd and Pt for the detection of organic molecules. The Pd and Pt nanostructures were synthesized on silicon substrate using a modified galvanic displacement method. The results show Pt nanoparticles and dendritic Pd nanostructures with controlled density and size. The influence of surfactants, including sodium dodecyl sulfate and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, on the size and morphology of the nanostructures was investigated. The Pd and Pt nanostructures with a combination of large size and high density were then used to explore their applicability for the detection of 10^-5 M Rhodamine 6G and 10^-2 M paraoxon.