I am using microscopic glass for the SERS substrate. But the problem is fluorescence background signal. After washing with piranha solution, water, ethanol and passing to the nitrogen stream, the glass surface has high fluorescence background signal. The clean glass was then modified with amino silane. The amino-modified glass surface was self-assembled with gold nanoparticle. The problem is the fluorescence from the surface of the glass. How to solve this problem, anyone has the knowledge about this issue.
I would suggest to refrain from ethanol, which is known to cause strong fluorescence on glass surfaces.
Instead, I would suggest to use 1M KOH, and/or piranha, and then immediately drx the glass with nitrogen.
Alternatively, plasma cleaning could be an option.
Hi,
One option is to change glass supplier. Good quality glass does not require much cleaning. But if you can not do this then: I would suggest using 30% H2O2 overnight. It is quite good bleach. You can also use NaBH4 which also kills a lot of fluorescence. Piranha and are good also, but you need to heat them in order to get good results.
Greetings,
Grazvydas
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