Graphene-Ag Hybrids on Laser-Textured Si Surface for SERS Detection

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been extensively investigated as an effective approach for trace species detection. Silver nanostructures are high-sensitivity SERS substrates in common use, but their poor chemical stability impedes practical applications. Herein, a stable and sensitive SERS substrate based on the hybrid structures of graphene/silver film/laser-textured Si (G/Ag/LTSi) was developed, and a simple, rapid, and low-cost fabrication approach was explored. Abundant nanoparticles were directly created and deposited on the Si surface via laser ablation. These aggregated nanoparticles functioned as hotspots after a 30 nm Ag film coating. A monolayer graphene was transferred to the Ag film surface to prevent the Ag from oxidation. The SERS behavior was investigated by detecting R6G and 4-MBT molecules. The experimental results indicate that the maximum enhancement factor achieved by the G/Ag/LTSi substrate is over 10⁷ and less than 23% SERS signals lost when the substrate was exposed to ambient conditions for 50 days. The covering graphene layer played crucial roles in both the Raman signals enhancement and the Ag nanostructure protection. The stable and sensitive SERS performance of G/Ag/LTSi substrate evince that the present strategy is a useful and convenient route to fabricate large-area graphene-silver plasmonic hybrids for SERS applications.