In Situ Growth of Noble‐Metal Nanoparticles on Cu 2 O Nanocubes for Surface‐Enhanced Raman Scattering Detection

Gold and silver nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution were grown in situ on the surfaces of Cu 2 O nanocubes through a wet‐chemical reduction route. The Cu 2 O nanocubes serve as both the substrate and reducing agent. The as‐prepared Cu 2 OAu and Cu 2 OAg nanocomposites still retain the cubic morphology of the original Cu 2 O nanocubes. The Cu 2 OAu and Cu 2 OAg nanocomposites can serve as effective surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates. Rhodamine 6G as a Raman probe was applied to determine the effects of the SERS substrates; the results show that Cu 2 OAg nanocomposites have higher sensitivity and good reproducibility. Furthermore, the Cu 2 OAg substrate was also applied to detect plasticizers, such as dimethyl phthalate and dibutyl phthalate, and shows potential applications in the area of food safety screening.