SERS is widely recognized as a powerful tool for in-situ observation of electrified interfaces such as electrode-electrolyte interfaces because of the high chemical sensitivity and high surface selectivity. It is, however, known that SERS spectra often suffer from generation of spectral background; the background continuum dominates especially in lower-frequency region. Recently, the origin of the background continuum has been ascribed to plasmon-enhanced inelastic light scattering by free electrons in the conduction band of solid surface. In this talk, we will demonstrate that both electronic SERS, as a spectral background, and low-frequency vibrational SERS are useful for studying electrified interfaces.
|