Pyridine as a probe molecule for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy of the silver-modified glassy carbon/solution interface

Pyridine is employed as a probe molecule to study with surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy the interface between an aqueous electrolyte solution and an electrochemically activated glassy carbon surface modified with electrodeposited silver. Results demonstrate the feasibility of this approach. The surface of the silver deposits shows surface enhanced Raman scattering without further activation. Band positions are compared with those obtained with electrochemically roughened solid silver electrodes. Further simple adsorbates (halide or oxoanions) were studied; their behaviour closely resembles previous observations with solid silver electrodes.