Comparison of SERS Effect on Composite Track-Etched Membranes with Silver Nanostructures Obtained by Vacuum Deposition and Chemical Synthesis

Abstract

Track-etched membranes (TMs) represent a universal platform for the development of advanced sensor systems due to their tunable pore architecture, chemical functionalization, and compatibility with different nanostructures. In particular, their modification with plasmonic silver nanostructures enables the creation of efficient solid-state substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), providing high sensitivity and potential for selective analyte detection. Solid substrates based on TMs can be a good compromise for SERS systems. This article is devoted to the study of the SERS effect on track-etched membranes with silver nanostructures. Silver nanostructures on track-etched membranes were obtained by thermal evaporation, magnetron sputtering think silver film with subsequent annealing. Other samples were received by deposition of colloidal silver nanoparticles stabilized with sodium citrate and β-cyclodextrin. 4-aminothiophenol was used as a test substance. All samples exhibited the SERS effect. The intensity of the Raman scattering signal in the obtained samples was compared and enhancement factors and standard deviations were estimated. Samples obtained both by deposition of nanoparticles and by sputtering show high values of the enhancement factors, which will allow them to be used in the future as substrates for biosensors.