Graphene oxide/plasmon nanoparticles bilayers for optimized SERS detection

We engineered an effective GO/Ag substrate with a highly controlled and uniform bilayer structure. The substrate was obtained by fine-tuning in the Ag nanocubes (AgNCs) self-assembly, followed by a controlled adsorption of GO sheets on the silver layer. Here the GO coating supplies the signal with additional amplification. The developed GO/AgNCs assemblies show a highly uniform signal distribution, which is ascribed to a homogeneous and soft arrangement of GO sheets over the AgNCs surface. The above characteristics make the GO/AgNCs substrate a reliable tool for detecting different compounds ranging from small molecules to complex biomolecules.