Investigation of the SERS application of gold films deposited on uncured polydimethylsiloxane with tunable LSPR

Abstract

Abstract We present an approach to investigate the localized surface plasmon resonance and surface-enhanced Raman scattering of gold films deposited on uncured polydimethylsiloxane via thermal evaporation. Differing from solid substrates, the liquid surface of uncured polydimethylsiloxane can serve as an isotropic substrate on which gold atoms nucleate and disperse to form characteristic microstructures in a controlled manner. By adjusting experimental parameters during film deposition, the absorption of resonant plasmon modes can be tuned in the visible spectral range due to the control of particle size and distribution in Au films. Furthermore, Raman measurements are conducted to investigate the enhancement of Raman signals in these films, and the experimental results are verified by simulation analysis. This work exhibits tunability of surface plasmon resonance frequency and enhanced Raman detection capability by depositing metal films on liquid surfaces, thus providing potential applications of these films in flexible biosensors and chemical detection.