Description
We investigate thiocyanate-induced aggregation of 15-30 nm gold nanoparticles using KSCN and NaSCN, focusing on how
ion-specific hydration effects influence plasmonic coupling, and Surfaces enhancement Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) hotspot formation.
SCN⁻ acts as a chaotropic aggregation agent and as an intrinsic Raman-active probe enabling real-time monitoring of interparticle enhancement effects through SERS. Our results reveal strong differences in enhancement between KSCN and NaSCN, suggesting hydration-mediated plasmonic coupling effects.
While UV–Vis, TEM, DLS, and Raman spectroscopy provide mainly static or ensemble averaged information, the MAC end-station at HHG beamline provides a unique platform for probing ultrafast plasmon dynamics using femtosecond pump–probe and XUV spectroscopy. These experiments could reveal plasmon dephasing, hot-electron generation, and hydration-controlled energy dissipation between aggregated particles.
