Growth of Gold Nanoparticles in a Glass Matrix by Continuous Laser Irradiation for Efficient Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering

The synthesis of a soda-lime glass doped by gold nanoparticles (Nps) is achieved using successively thermal poling and continuous wave (cw) ultraviolet (UV) laser exposure. The formation of gold Nps is undoubtedly proved by an absorption band characteristic of their surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and by scanning electron microscopy, which reveals Nps of about 40 nm in diameter, located in the very near surface region of the glass. Absorption spectroscopy also suggests the formation of bimetallic silver-gold Nps in systems prepared by using thermal poling and laser exposure of a glass previously doped by silver ions using ion exchange. Finally, the low detection limit of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) measured by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy proves the potential of our gold-doped glass as an efficient Raman substrate, which offers an alternative to silver Nps doped glass.