Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrates with advanced spectral sensitivity prepared from five years old silver nanoplatelets

A new simple approach is suggested to prepare surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates with high effectiveness for various laser excitation wavelengths and analytes with different light absorption features by impregnation of porous cellulose materials by a mixture of silver nanoplatelets with a wide range of sizes and anisotropy. The suggested route provides a much better spectral sensitivity and flexible applications since SERS as a phenomenon is essential on the nanometer scale only. The mixing provides always a proper fraction of silver nanoparticles deposited onto the substrate thus guaranteeing the enhancement of Raman signals under given excitation conditions for a wider set of given analytes. The substrates were successfully prepared for the first time from silver nanoplatelets aged for five years. This confirms high chemical and morphological stability of stabilized silver nanoparticles and the ability to use them as precursors for application - ready materials.