The detection by SERS of resonantly excited desorption of pyridine from silver island films by IR laser absorption

Abstract

We have shown that when a very thin film of pyridine about two or three monolayers thick on a silver island film is exposed to a pulsed CO2 laser line whose frequency corresponds to that of a pyridine vibrational mode the physisorbed molecules within the pyridine film can be desorbed even at liquid He temperatures. It is interesting that this observation was first made using surface enhanced Raman scattering. Experimental results are presented from which it is concluded that the phenomenon can be described as resonantly excited desorption. The absorbed IR energy seems to be localized within the pyridine film and the silver film and thermallized to some degree causing some of the physisorbed molecules to desorb. Analysis of the SERS spectra before and after the resonantly excited desorption has enabled us to separate out the SERS spectra due to the physisorbed pyridine and the chemisorbed pyridine. © 1982.