Date of Graduation
2002
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
This dissertation contains two parts. The first part is focused on Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS). A new simple method has been developed to produce SERS-active metal surfaces on aluminum foil. Strong surface enhancements have been observed from cadmium, nickel, gold, iron, copper, and silver surfaces prepared by this method. SERS of aqueous pyridine solutions have been investigated on these different metal surfaces and the differences are explained by the different adsorption behaviors. Strong surface enhancement effects have also been observed using iron/copper and platinum/copper surfaces, which are prepared by two different metals reduced sequentially onto aluminum foil. SERS studies of cyanopyridine isomers and 4-(dimethylamino)benzaldehyde are reported. In the second part of this dissertation, we studied the luminescence signals in the Raman spectra of aluminum oxide. The origin of the luminescence is shown to be trace amounts of chromium doped in aluminum oxide. The intensities of the luminescence signals are found to correlate with the degree of hydration of α-Al2O3 samples. This can be explained by the formation of additional octahedral sites of Cr3+ on the sample surface.
Recommended Citation
Zuo, Chen, "Part I. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS): Methodology and applications to small organic molecules. Part II. Luminescence in the Raman spectra of aluminum oxide." (2002). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 10125.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/10125