Gold Nanoparticles Deposited on a Conical Anodic Aluminum Oxide Substrate for Improved Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

In this study, a highly ordered gold nanoparticle (AuNP) monomer array based on a gold-coated conical anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template was fabricated to produce a ring-shaped hot line between the gold layer and AuNPs instead of the existing hot spot between the metal nanoparticles. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering signal of the synthesized nanostructured template was 80 times higher than that of a flat gold surface and 3.7 times higher than that of ordered AuNP monomers arranged by the conical AAO template. The template was also fabricated based on a wet chemistry process, which allows for considerably easier and quicker production of large-area templates.