Flexible and superhydrophobic silver nanoparticles decorated aligned silver nanowires (AgNWs@AgNPs) films were employed as efficient surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates to investigate the SERS properties of the Rhodamine B (RB). Aligned silver nanowires were fabricated via interface self-assembly technique and incorporated into shape memory polyurethane (SMPU) by hot-press method, which not only endow the composites with ordered array characteristics but also flexibility due to the presence of polymer. After an electrochemical deposition combined with a galvanic reaction, AgNWs@AgNPs was obtained. At last, the substrate was functioned with perfluorodecanethiol (PFDT), and the target flexible and superhydrophobic silver nanoparticles decorated aligned silver nanowires substrate was obtained. The substrate confines water droplet in a small area, and the analytes were enriched owing to the concentrating effect. The SERS assay using the as-synthesized flexible and superhydrophobic silver films as substrates can detect Rhodamine B as low as10−10 M. The mechanism is thought to relate to the formation of robust superhydrophobic film, which is based on micro- and nanoscaled hierarchical structure provided by the AgNWs@AgNPs layer, strong adhesion between the SMPU film and the AgNWs@AgNPs layer, and the low surface energy molecule adsorption on the silver surface. The combined superhydrophobic and flexible properties endow the SERS substrate with improved detection limit for practical SERS applications.

The ordered silver nanowires (Ag NWs) were assembled by three-phase interface method and the ordered Ag@Au hybrid nanotubes were successfully prepared by the galvanic replacement reaction between HAuCl₄ solution and the ordered Ag NWs. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were employed to analyze the morphology of the ordered Ag NWs and Ag@Au nanotubes, and the influence of reaction time in displacement reaction. Fluorescence and laser-Raman properties of conjugated polymerpoly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) were analyzed on various ordered Ag@Au nanotubes on the fluorescence. The results showed that the Au particle grew on ordered Ag@Au hybrid nanotubes with the reaction time going. The fluorescence properties of P3HT films are improved on various ordered Ag@Au hybrid nanotubes compared with those on bare silicon substrate, but the fluorescence intensity of P3HT films on the ordered hybrid nanowires decreases as the galvanic displacement process.