Highly efficient silver particle layers on glass substrate synthesized by the sonochemical method for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy purposes.

A fast method for preparing of silver particle layers on glass substrates with high application potential for using in surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is introduced. Silver particle layers deposited on glass cover slips were generated in one-step process by reduction of silver nitrate using several reducing agents (ethylene glycol, glycerol, maltose, lactose and glucose) under ultrasonic irradiation. This technique allows the formation of homogeneous layers of silver particles with sizes from 80nm up to several hundred nanometers depending on the nature of the used reducing agent.