Electrochemical preparation of Ag nanostructures and their surface enhanced Raman scattering effects

Ag nanostructures were successfully prepared on indium tin oxide (ITO) surfaces through electrochemical deposition. These nanostructures possessed uniform morphology. The concentration of AgNO₃, the nucleation potential, the growth potential and the addition of sodium citrate greatly affected the morphology and density of the as-prepared Ag nanostructures. Only when these parameters were reasonably set could Ag nanostructures with well-defined morphology and considerable density be obtained. Investigation on surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activities of the as-prepared Ag nanostructures was also carried out under 633 nm excitation, using p-aminothiophenol (p-ATP) as the probe molecule. The results show that they can serve as potential SERS substrates.