{
  "abstract": "Reliable surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates must combine high enhancement with spatially uniform and reproducible responses. Here, hierarchical rough black nickel (b-Ni) substrates were fabricated by electrodeposition and acid etching and coated with Ag or Au layers (5–50 nm). Their SERS performance was systematically evaluated using 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) and large-area Raman mapping (1.5 × 1.5 mm 2 ; 900 spectra per substrate), supported by statistical analysis of signal intensity, spatial variability, response distribution, and inter-band correlation. Metrics included median signed band areas, relative standard deviation (RSD), the median absolute deviation (MAD)-based coefficient of variation, the contribution of the 10% highest-response positions to the total positive response, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Ag-coated b-Ni substrates exhibited substantially stronger and more spatially uniform enhancement than Au-coated substrates, with performance increasing with Ag thickness. The 50 nm b-Ni/Ag architecture provided the optimal combination of signal strength and spatial reproducibility. Control experiments with bare b-Ni and flat Ag and Au films deposited on polished silicon confirmed that the enhancement arises from the synergistic effect of hierarchical b-Ni micro/nanoroughness and the plasmonic noble-metal coating. These results establish Ag-coated b-Ni as a simple, low-cost, and scalable platform for robust SERS measurements, reducing the need for extensive spatial screening.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Physics and Mathematics",
    "University of Eastern Finland",
    "Department of Technical Physics",
    "Department of Chemistry and Sustainable Technology"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Arya Soltaneshagh"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Hanna Maltanava"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Roman Levin"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Jari T.T. Leskinen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Sari Suvanto"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Aleksandr Saushin"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Sergei Malykhin"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Polina Kuzhir"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Nikita Belko",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-9926-3462"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0vv3gdsa8ypv9.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.26434/chemrxiv.15010964/v1",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "0vv3gdsa8ypv9",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010964/v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2504|Gold and Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis and Applications"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223313083",
  "pdf_url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/pdf/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010964/v1",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-23",
  "publisher": "American Chemical Society (ACS)",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0vv3gdsa8ypv9.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:26Z",
      "native_id": "10.26434/chemrxiv.15010964",
      "source": "chemrxiv",
      "url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010964/v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:2504|Gold and Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis and Applications",
      "subfield": "materials-polymers"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Cost-effective nanorough black nickel-based SERS substrates with statistically validated spatial uniformity",
  "title_text": "Cost-effective nanorough black nickel-based SERS substrates with statistically validated spatial uniformity",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:26Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0vv3gdsa8ypv9",
  "venue": "ChemRxiv",
  "versions": []
}