Effect of the size of silver nanoparticles on SERS signal enhancement

The localized surface plasmon resonance arising from plasmonic materials is beneficial in solution-based and thin-film sensing applications, which increase the sensitivity of the analyte being tested. Silver nanoparticles from 35 to 65 nm in diameter were synthesized using a low-temperature method and deposited in a monolayer on a (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES)-functionalized glass slide. The effect of particle size on monolayer structure, optical behavior, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is studied. While increasing particle size decreases particle coverage, it also changes the localized surface plasmon resonance and thus the SERS activity of individual nanoparticles. Using a laser excitation wavelength of 633 nm, the stronger localized surface plasmon resonance coupling to this excitation wavelength at larger particle sizes trumps the loss in surface coverage, and greater SERS signals are observed. The SERS signal enhancement accounts for the higher SERS signal, which was verified using a finite element model of a silver nanoparticle dimer with various nanoparticle sizes and separation distances.