SERS investigation on the polymerization of carbazolyldiacetylene monolayers on gold surfaces

Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering experiments were performed on self-assembled carbazolyl-diacetylene monolayers chemisorbed on smooth gold substrates and UV irradiated. The Raman enhancement was ensured by depositing silver colloidal nanoparticles, which strongly increase the surface roughness. The co-existence of two polymer phases, characterized by different degree of order in the polymeric backbone, was detected by SERS results, which suggest a polymerization scheme with conjugated triple bonds nearly parallel to the plane of the metal surface.