Preparation and characterization of an ultrathin carbon shell coating a silver core for shell-isolated nanoparticle-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

A well-designed type of ultrathin carbon shell coating a silver core was prepared for the first time through an alternate adsorption and carbonization method. The obtained ultrathin carbon shell shows prominent advantages, including sufficient uniformity, better chemical stability than silica or alumina, biocompatibility, being free of pin-holes and low cost. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011