Plasmonic Cu/CuCl/Cu2S/Ag and Cu/CuCl/Cu2S/Au Supports with Peroxidase-Like Activity: Insights from Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Abstract

Abstract In the present study, we present nanostructured bimetallic Cu/CuCl/Cu2S/Au(Ag) supports that exhibit plasmonic electromagnetic field enhancement and peroxidase-like catalytic activity. The Cu2S component acts as the peroxidase-like catalyst, while the Au or Ag component provides the necessary light enhancement for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) studies of surface bound molecular reactants. As a test reaction the catalytic oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in presence of H2O2 was investigated. The comparison of product evolution in solution measured by UV-Vis spectroscopy and on the surface measured via SERS is able to give more insight into the different steps involved in the overall catalysis.