Probing the orientations of coordination complex molecules onto the surface of ZnO nanoparticles by means of surface enhanced Raman scattering, UV–vis and DFT methods

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The adsorption geometry of three complex molecules onto the surface of ZnO nanoparticles is investigated by Raman, SERS and UV–vis techniques. • All the three complex molecules are adsorbed in flat-on geometry. • On the adsorption onto the ZnO NPs, the fluorescence background of Raman spectra of Zn complex is quenched. - Abstract: The surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a highly surface sensitive technique to study inter-surface properties of biological, organic, and inorganic materials. It is a precise technique to determine the adsorption geometry/orientation of the molecules as the intensity enhancement of the SERS bands depends on the adsorption geometry/orientation of molecules on SERS substrate. In the present work, Ni, Cu and Zn complexes of (Z)-N′(1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl) acetimidate were synthesized and adsorbed on ZnO nanoparticles. The surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), UV–vis and DFT techniques were applied to investigate the possible adsorption geometries of the complexes on ZnO. Consequently, it was found that the orientation of all three complex molecules is flat-on onto the surface of ZnO nanoparticles. The fluorescence background of Raman spectra of Zn complex is quenched and its geometry is isomerized after the adsorption onto the surface of ZnO nanoparticles. The adsorbed Cu complex on ZnO NPs absorbed UV radiations efficiently