Nanoporous Copper Films via Dynamic Hydrogen Bubbling: A Promising SERS Substrate for Sensitive Detection of Methylene Blue

Cu-based nanomaterials have received considerable attention as promising and cost-effective substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) applications despite their relatively low enhancement factor (EF) compared to noble metals like gold and silver. In this study, a fast and affordable...

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Main Authors: Noor Tayyaba, Stefano Zago, Andrea Giura, Gianluca Fiore, Luigi Ribotta, Federico Scaglione, Paola Rizzi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Nanomaterials
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/15/12/945
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author Noor Tayyaba
Stefano Zago
Andrea Giura
Gianluca Fiore
Luigi Ribotta
Federico Scaglione
Paola Rizzi
author_facet Noor Tayyaba
Stefano Zago
Andrea Giura
Gianluca Fiore
Luigi Ribotta
Federico Scaglione
Paola Rizzi
author_sort Noor Tayyaba
collection DOAJ
description Cu-based nanomaterials have received considerable attention as promising and cost-effective substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) applications despite their relatively low enhancement factor (EF) compared to noble metals like gold and silver. In this study, a fast and affordable synthesis route is proposed to obtain a three-dimensional porous copper film (NPC) via an electrodeposition technique based on the dynamic hydrogen bubbling template (DHBT). Two sets of NPC film were synthesized, one without additives and the other with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The impacts of deposition time on the NPCs’ porous morphology, thickness, and SERS performance were systematically investigated. With the optimal deposition time, the nanopore sizes could be tailored from 26.8 to 73 μm without additives and from 12.8 to 24 µm in the presence of CTAB. The optimal additive-free NPC film demonstrated excellent SERS performance at 180 s of deposition, while the CTAB-modified film showed strong enhancement at 120 s towards methylene blue (MB), a highly toxic dye, achieving a detection limit of 10<sup>−6</sup> M. Additionally, the samples with CTAB showed better efficiency than those without CTAB. The calculated EF of NPC was found to be 5.9 × 10<sup>3</sup> without CTAB and 2.5 × 10<sup>3</sup> with the CTAB, indicating the potential of NPC as a cost-effective candidate for high-performance SERS substrates. This comprehensive study provides insights into optimizing the structural morphology of the NPCs to maximize their SERS enhancement factor and improve their detection sensitivity toward MB, thus overcoming the limitations associated with conventional copper-based SERS substrates.
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spelling doaj-art-e5e3d65c00d3450d8deb825504d7d6c62025-06-25T14:14:36ZengMDPI AGNanomaterials2079-49912025-06-01151294510.3390/nano15120945Nanoporous Copper Films via Dynamic Hydrogen Bubbling: A Promising SERS Substrate for Sensitive Detection of Methylene BlueNoor Tayyaba0Stefano Zago1Andrea Giura2Gianluca Fiore3Luigi Ribotta4Federico Scaglione5Paola Rizzi6Dipartimento di Chimica e Centro Interdipartimentale NIS (Nanostructured Surfaces and Interfaces), Università di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, ItalyDipartimento di Chimica e Centro Interdipartimentale NIS (Nanostructured Surfaces and Interfaces), Università di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, ItalyApplied Metrology and Engineering Division, Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRiM), Strada delle Cacce 91, 10135 Torino, ItalyDipartimento di Chimica e Centro Interdipartimentale NIS (Nanostructured Surfaces and Interfaces), Università di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, ItalyApplied Metrology and Engineering Division, Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRiM), Strada delle Cacce 91, 10135 Torino, ItalyDipartimento di Chimica e Centro Interdipartimentale NIS (Nanostructured Surfaces and Interfaces), Università di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, ItalyDipartimento di Chimica e Centro Interdipartimentale NIS (Nanostructured Surfaces and Interfaces), Università di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, ItalyCu-based nanomaterials have received considerable attention as promising and cost-effective substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) applications despite their relatively low enhancement factor (EF) compared to noble metals like gold and silver. In this study, a fast and affordable synthesis route is proposed to obtain a three-dimensional porous copper film (NPC) via an electrodeposition technique based on the dynamic hydrogen bubbling template (DHBT). Two sets of NPC film were synthesized, one without additives and the other with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The impacts of deposition time on the NPCs’ porous morphology, thickness, and SERS performance were systematically investigated. With the optimal deposition time, the nanopore sizes could be tailored from 26.8 to 73 μm without additives and from 12.8 to 24 µm in the presence of CTAB. The optimal additive-free NPC film demonstrated excellent SERS performance at 180 s of deposition, while the CTAB-modified film showed strong enhancement at 120 s towards methylene blue (MB), a highly toxic dye, achieving a detection limit of 10<sup>−6</sup> M. Additionally, the samples with CTAB showed better efficiency than those without CTAB. The calculated EF of NPC was found to be 5.9 × 10<sup>3</sup> without CTAB and 2.5 × 10<sup>3</sup> with the CTAB, indicating the potential of NPC as a cost-effective candidate for high-performance SERS substrates. This comprehensive study provides insights into optimizing the structural morphology of the NPCs to maximize their SERS enhancement factor and improve their detection sensitivity toward MB, thus overcoming the limitations associated with conventional copper-based SERS substrates.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/15/12/945nanoporous copper filmelectrodepositiondynamic hydrogen bubbling templateCTABSERS
spellingShingle Noor Tayyaba
Stefano Zago
Andrea Giura
Gianluca Fiore
Luigi Ribotta
Federico Scaglione
Paola Rizzi
Nanoporous Copper Films via Dynamic Hydrogen Bubbling: A Promising SERS Substrate for Sensitive Detection of Methylene Blue
Nanomaterials
nanoporous copper film
electrodeposition
dynamic hydrogen bubbling template
CTAB
SERS
title Nanoporous Copper Films via Dynamic Hydrogen Bubbling: A Promising SERS Substrate for Sensitive Detection of Methylene Blue
title_full Nanoporous Copper Films via Dynamic Hydrogen Bubbling: A Promising SERS Substrate for Sensitive Detection of Methylene Blue
title_fullStr Nanoporous Copper Films via Dynamic Hydrogen Bubbling: A Promising SERS Substrate for Sensitive Detection of Methylene Blue
title_full_unstemmed Nanoporous Copper Films via Dynamic Hydrogen Bubbling: A Promising SERS Substrate for Sensitive Detection of Methylene Blue
title_short Nanoporous Copper Films via Dynamic Hydrogen Bubbling: A Promising SERS Substrate for Sensitive Detection of Methylene Blue
title_sort nanoporous copper films via dynamic hydrogen bubbling a promising sers substrate for sensitive detection of methylene blue
topic nanoporous copper film
electrodeposition
dynamic hydrogen bubbling template
CTAB
SERS
url https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/15/12/945
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AT gianlucafiore nanoporouscopperfilmsviadynamichydrogenbubblingapromisingserssubstrateforsensitivedetectionofmethyleneblue
AT luigiribotta nanoporouscopperfilmsviadynamichydrogenbubblingapromisingserssubstrateforsensitivedetectionofmethyleneblue
AT federicoscaglione nanoporouscopperfilmsviadynamichydrogenbubblingapromisingserssubstrateforsensitivedetectionofmethyleneblue
AT paolarizzi nanoporouscopperfilmsviadynamichydrogenbubblingapromisingserssubstrateforsensitivedetectionofmethyleneblue