Surface-enhanced Raman scattering of reduced graphene coated with silver nanoparticles

Recently carbon based materials such as graphene and silver nanoparticles hybrid become very important for a variety of applications including bio-medical, waste water treatment, solar energy, chemical sensors, electronics etc. We have studied the Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) of reduced graphene oxide modified with silver nanoparticles. First, graphene oxide was synthesized by oxidation of graphite powder using KMnO4, NaNO3, H2SO4 and H2O2 and then silver nitrate along with graphene oxide were reduced chemically using Hydrazine Hydrate and the mixture is known as graphene-silver NPs hybrid. The structural and morphological properties of prepared samples were characterized by means of scanning electron microscope (SEM), UV-visible spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. We found that the D peak, G peak and 2D peak intensity of Raman spectra has been amplified many times with silver nanoparticles as well as silver nanoparticles intercalate between the layers of graphene oxide, therefore it is also helpful in reduction of graphene oxide.