Au nanoparticles synthesized from colloidal techniques have the capability in many applications such as catalysis and sensing. Au nanoparticles function as both catalyst and highly sensitive SERS probe can be employed for sustainable and green catalytic process. However, capping ligands that are necessary to stabilize nanoparticles during synthesis are negative for catalytic activity. In this work, a simple effective mild thermal treatment to remove capping ligands meanwhile preserving the high SERS sensitivity of Au nanoparticles is reported. We show that under the optimal treatment conditions (250 °C for 2 h), 50 nm Au nanoparticles surfaces are free from any capping molecules. The catalytic activity of treated Au nanoparticles is studied through H₂O₂decomposition, which proves that the treatment is favorable for catalytic performance improvement. A reaction intermediate during H₂O₂decomposition is observed and identified.

Dual-functionality Au-on-Ag nanostructures (AOA) were fabricated on a silicon substrate by first immobilizing citrate-reduced Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs, ∼43 nm in diameter), followed by depositing ∼7 nm Au nanofilms (Au NFs) via thermal evaporation. Au NFs were introduced for their catalytic activity in concave-convex nano-configuration. Ag NPs underneath were used for their significant enhancement factor (EF) in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based measurements of analytes of interest. Rhodamine 6G (R6G) was utilized as the Raman-probe to evaluate the SERS sensitivity of AOA. The SERS EF of AOA is ∼37 times than that of Au NPs. Using reduction of 4-nitrothiophenol (4-NTP) by sodium borohydride (NaBH ₄ ) as a model reaction, we demonstrated the robust catalytic activity of AOA as well as its capacity to continuously monitor via SERS the disappearance of reactant 4-NTP, emergence and disappearance of intermediate 4,4′-DMAB, and the appearance of product 4-ATP throughout the reduction process in real-time and in situ .

Silver/gold (Ag/Au) core–shell nanostructures exhibit tunable plasmonic properties and enhanced catalytic performance, enabling applications across sensing, biomedicine, and environmental remediation. This review presents representative synthetic strategies for fabricating Ag/Au bimetallic core–shell nanostructures with three distinct morphologies: nanospheres, nanocubes, and nanowires. For each architecture, we cover the representative synthetic approaches, such as seed-mediated growth, one-pot synthesis, and evaporation deposition methods, along with their corresponding applications. This review provides discussions on the synthesis methods and applications through specific examples, offering researchers guidance for fabricating Ag/Au core–shell nanostructures with tailored morphologies while addressing major challenges in controlling bimetallic formation.