Abstract: The detection of trace amounts of explosive like trinitrotoluene (TNT) is an important issue in the prevention of terrorist attacks. Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy has become a powerful detection technique for identification of minute amounts of analytes. This thesis presents data of TNT in solution, deposited on a nanostructured gold surface, which is heated up to 60 °C. The observed changes in the microscopy images and in the SERS spectra are explained by evaporation, phase transition and decomposition of the TNT molecules. The impact of temperature dependence of SERS effect is studied on a chemisorbed 4-Nitrothiophenol monolayer. To minimize the evaporation of TNT molecules, a self-assembled monolayer of mercaptohexanol (MCH) was inserted between plasmonic surface and TNT.Keywords: surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, explosives, temperature dependence, microscopy, evaporation, phase transition, decompositionPublished in DKUM: 05.11.2015; Views: 2132; Downloads: 105 Full text (2,25 MB)