SERS from Ag and Au nanoarrays made using photochemical patterning

Photochemical patterning on LiNbO₃ is used to create location specific photo deposition of metallic nanoparticles, by inducing disruption to the LiNbO₃ surface. This method achieves structures on the nanoto microscale as well as high reproducibility. The LiNbO₃ substrates are photochemically patterned by proton exchange of Li⁺ ions with H⁺ ions from an acid solution, and a Ti mask determines the pattern available for photodeposition of metal nanoparticles. In this paper a periodic TI mask is used, creating periodic proton exchange (PPE) gold and silver nanoarrays. We demonstrate that such nanoarrays are plasmon active. Raman spectroscopy was applied to study a molecular probe [Ru(bpy)2(Qbpy)]2+ absorbed onto a silver and gold nanostructured array.