Template-assisted self-assembly of Au film deposited on liquid surfaces and its application in surface-enhanced Raman scattering

We present an effective approach for the fabrication of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrates by depositing structured gold films on silicone oil. Template-assisted self-assembly was utilized to prepare Au films with periodic and controlled morphology via thermal evaporation. Differing from the films deposited on solid substrates, Au nanoparticles deposited on silicone oil tend to form films consisted of abundant ramified aggregates owing to the quasi-continuous properties of the liquid surface. With the assistance of polystyrene micro- spheres as the template, the films can be prepared with controlled periodic structures, which can serve as substrates for surface enhancement of Raman scattering (SERS). This work utilizes templates on liquid surfaces to fabricate flexible, low-cost and sensitive SERS substrates with highly organized Au structures, integrates the advantages of both the isotropic properties of liquid surfaces and controllability of templates.