Investigation of sp carbon chain interaction with silver nanoparticles by Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering

TL;DR

This study uses Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy combined with DFT calculations to explore how isolated sp carbon chains interact with silver nanoparticles, revealing chemical interactions, stability, and phase conversion over time.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the chemical interaction mechanisms between sp carbon chains and silver nanoparticles using combined experimental and theoretical approaches.

Findings

Polyynes show strong chemical interaction with silver colloids.

SERS spectra evolve over time indicating changes in polyynes.

DFT supports understanding of sp to sp2 phase conversion.

Abstract

Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is exploited here to investigate the interaction of isolated sp carbon chains (polyynes) in a methanol solution with silver nanoparticles. Hydrogen-terminated polyynes show a strong interaction with silver colloids used as the SERS active medium revealing a chemical SERS effect. SERS spectra after mixing polyynes with silver colloids show a noticeable time evolution. Experimental results, supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the Raman modes, allow us to investigate the behavior and stability of polyynes of different lengths and the overall sp conversion towards sp2 phase.