A close look at silver oxide colloid for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

A silver oxide hydrosol has been prepared by reacting silver nitrate with sodium hydroxide in an aqueous solution. The colloidal particle composition and particle size have been characterized by X-ray diffractometry and transmittance electron microscopy. We have demonstrated that the sol is surface-enhanced Raman scattering active. One major advantage of this sol is the absence of the spectral interference arising from reaction products of the sol formation process. The mechanism of surface-enhanced Raman scattering activity is essentially contributed by the silver particles generated from the photochemical process during the laser excitation.