Ultraviolet exposure improves SERS activity of graphene-coated Ag/ZrO2 substrates

Bandarenka, Hanna ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4254-8261, Burko, Aliaksandr, Laputsko, Diana, Dronina, Lizaveta, Kovalchuk, Nikolai, Podelinska, Alise, Shapel, Uladzislau, Popov, Anatoli I. and Bocharov, Dmitry 2023. Ultraviolet exposure improves SERS activity of graphene-coated Ag/ZrO2 substrates. Crystals 13 (11) , 1570. 10.3390/cryst13111570

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Abstract

This study reveals a significant improvement in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity of Ag/ZrO2 substrates covered with a few-layer graphene preliminary exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light. The SERS-active substrates are formed by the “silver mirror” deposition of Ag nanoparticles on annealed zirconia blocks. The film composed of ~3 graphene layers is grown on copper foil by a chemical vapor deposition and then wet-transferred to the SERS-active substrates. The graphene-free Ag/ZrO2 samples are found to provide an enhancement of the Raman scattering from rhodamine 6G (R6G) at a micromolar concentration, which is associated with combined effects from the surface plasmon resonance in the Ag nanoparticles and a charge transfer facilitated by zirconium dioxide. It is revealed that the SERS signal from the analyte molecules can be suppressed by a UV exposure of the Ag/ZrO2 samples due to photocatalytic activity of the wide band gap semiconductor. However, if the samples are covered with a few-layer graphene (Gr/Ag/ZrO2) it prevents the dye molecule decomposition upon the UV treatment and improves SERS activity of the substrates. The 365 nm treatment leads to a 40% increase in the 10–6 M R6G SERS spectrum intensity, while the 254 nm irradiation causes it to rise by 47%, which is explained by different responses from the surface and bulk zirconia crystals to the short and long UV wavelengths. This enhancement is attributed to the distinct responses of surface and in-depth zirconia crystals to varied UV wavelengths and underscores the pivotal role of graphene as a protective and enhancing layer.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Physics and Astronomy
Publisher:	MDPI
ISSN:	2073-4352
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	23 July 2026
Date of Acceptance:	31 October 2023
Last Modified:	07 Sep 2026 21:52
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/188423

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