Electrodeposition of vertically standing Ag nanoplates and nanowires on transparent conductive electrode using porous anodic aluminum oxide template.

We report fabricating vertically standing Ag nanoplates and nanowires on a transparent conductive substrate of indium tin oxides (ITO) with the assistance of a porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template. Two-dimensional Ag nanoplates can be electrodeposited onto an AAO covered ITO surface without using an adhesion layer. Ag nanoplates obtained using AAO templates have 3 × {222} superlattice fringes, different from the 3 × {422} superlattice fringes reported in the previous study. Ag nanowires can be electrodeposited onto ITO which is initially covered with an AAO template through a conductive polymer poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS). The coverage, diameter, and thickness of Ag nanoplates are strongly dependent on the electrodeposition time. These Ag nanoplates and nanowires are used for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and the influence of their shape, size, and coverage on SERS enhancement is studied.