HNO3 etched silver foil as an effective substrate for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) analysis

Silver foils for Raman scattering were prepared by chemical etching with a concentrated nitric acid. These foils were found to exhibit a strong SERS effect and excellent thermal stability. SERS spectra of 4,4'-dipyryl, benzyl disulfide, and polybenzimidazole have been taken to illustrate the usefulness of this sample preparation technique in studies of chemisorption, surface catalysis and molecular characterization of polymer-metal composite interfaces. The HNO3-roughened silver foil seems to be a more routinely preparable substrate system for SERS study.