Electrodeposition of dendritic gold/silver nanaoparticles on disposable screen-printed carbon electrode and its application of 4-mercaptopyridine in in situ electrochemical surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Column electrodes pretreated through oxidation–reduction cycles were traditionally used in electrochemical surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). In this study, a disposable screen-printed carbon electrode was introduced into in situ electrochemical SERS through the electrodeposition of dendritic gold/silver nanoparticles (Au/AgNPs) onto the surface of the carbon working electrode to induce the SERS enhancement effect on the electrode. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that dendritic Au/AgNPs nanostructures could be fabricated under appropriate electrodeposition conditions and could present a minimum SERS factor of 4.25 × 10 5 . Furthermore, the absorbed behavior of 4-mercaptopyridine was investigated under different potentials. The adsorption configuration was inferred to transform from ‘vertical’ to ‘lying-flat’. The proposed new electrode combined with a portable Raman spectrometer could be useful in the identifying products or intermediates during electrochemical synthesis or electrochemical catalysis in in situ electrochemical SERS. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.