Electromagnetic Mechanisms or Chemical Mechanisms? Role of Interfacial Charge Transfer in the Plasmonic Metal/Semiconductor Heterojunction.

The plasmonic metal/semiconductor heterojunction provides a unique paradigm for manipulating light to improve the efficiency of plasmonic materials. Previous studies suggest that the improvement originates from the enhanced carrier exchanges between the plasmonic component of the heterojunction and molecules. This viewpoint, known as the chemical mechanism, is reasonable but insufficient, because the construction of the heterojunction will lead to a charge redistribution in the plasmonic component and cause changes in its physical characteristics. Herein, we will try to clarify that these changes are decisive factors in specific applications by investigating the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) behavior of a typical Ag/TiO heterojunction. We observed significant changes in SERS spectra by modulating the band alignment of the heterojunction in a loop. Identical trends in SERS spectra were observed despite the fact that the charge transfer from the heterojunction to molecules was blocked, suggesting that the major SERS enhancement originates from electromagnetic mechanisms rather than chemical ones.