Synthesis of anisotropic nanoparticles as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)

• Grant number: 19/21213-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 08, 2019
• End date: March 07, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Carlos José Leopoldo Constantino
• Grantee: Marcelo José dos Santos Oliveira
• Supervisor: Santiago Sánchez-Cortés
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia (FCT). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Presidente Prudente. Presidente Prudente , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Centro de Física Miguel Antonio Catalán (CFMAC), Spain
• Associated to the scholarship: 19/07179-2 - Detection of fungicide thiram in aqueous media via surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS), BP.IC

Abstract

This project aims to synthesize anisotropic (nanostars and nanoprisms) and spherical nanoparticles that will be applied as substrates ("enhancer nanoparticles") for the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique. Besides proportionate to the student to learn the synthesis of those nanoparticles, the specific goal of this study is to investigate the effect of nanoparticle morphology on the performance of SERS technique. The nanoparticles will be synthesized by "wet" routes obtaining colloidal suspensions, which will be characterized by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The effect of the morphology will be evaluated through the thiram SERS spectra, which is the target molecule of the IC project in Brazil. The project in Spain will be supervised by Dr. Santiago Sanchez Cortés, specialist on synthesis nanoparticles, SERS and pesticide detection, with whom we have been collaborating along the last 10 years: two BEPE/FAPESP fellowships (6 and 12 months), one Ciência Sem Fronteiras/fellowship (12 months); Dr. Santiago have been in Presidente Prudente as a visiting researcher sponsored by UNESP (1 month), besides participating in several conferences in Brazil. (AU)