Study of electrical field distribution of gold-capped nanoparticle for excitation of localized surface plasmon resonance

The specific optical characteristics which can be observed from noble metal nanostructured materials such as nanoparticles and nanoislands have wide variety of applications such as biosensors, solar cells, and optical circuit. Because, these noble metal nanostructures induce the increment of light absorption efficiency by the enhancing effect of electrical field from localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) excitation. However, the enhancing effects of electrical field from LSPR using simple structured noble metal nanostructures for several applications are not satisfactory. To realize the more effective light absorption efficiency by the enhancing effect of electrical field, quite different noble metal nanostructures have been desired for applying to several applications using LSPR. In this study, to obtain the more effective enhancing effect of electrical field, conditions for LSPR excitation using a gold-capped nanoparticle layer substrate are computationally analyzed using finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. From the previous research, LSPR excitation using such gold-capped nanoparticle layer substrates has a great potential for application to high-sensitive label-free monitoring of biomolecular interactions. For understanding of detailed LSPR excitation mechanism, LSPR excitation conditions were investigated by analyzing the electrical field distribution using simulation software and comparing the results obtained with experimental results. As a result of computational analysis, LSPR excitation was found to depend on the particle alignment, interparticle distance, and excitation wavelength. Furthermore, the LSPR optical characteristics obtained from the simulation analysis were consistent with experimentally approximated LSPR optical characteristics. Using this gold-capped nanoparticle layer substrate, LSPR can be excited easily more than conventional noble metal nanoparticle-based LSPR excitation without noble metal nanoparticle synthesis. Hence, this structure is detectable a small change of refractive index such as biomolecular interactions for biosensing applications.     

Composition-Controlled Laser-Induced Alloying of Colloidal Au–Cu Hetero Nanoparticles

Due to their optical properties (localized surface plasmon resonance, LSPR), colloidally dispersed metal nanoparticles are well suited for selective heating by high-energy laser radiation above their melting point without being limited by the boiling point of the solvent, which represents an excellent complement to wet-chemical nanoparticle synthesis. By combining wet-chemical synthesis and postsynthesis laser treatment, the advantages of both methods can be used to specifically control the properties of nanoparticles. Especially in the colloidal synthesis of nanoalloys consisting of two or more metals with different redox potentials, wet-chemical synthesis quickly reaches its limits in terms of composition control and homogeneity. For this reason, the direct synthesis path is divided into two parts to take the strengths of both methods. After preparing Au–Cu hetero nanoparticles by wet-chemical synthesis, nanoalloys with previous adjusted composition can be formed by postsynthesis laser treatment. The formation of these nanoalloys can be followed by different characterization methods, such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), where the fusion of both metal domains and the formation of spherical and homogeneous Au–Cu nanoparticles can be observed. Moreover, the alloy formation can be followed by different shifts of X-ray diffraction (XRD) reflections and LSPR maxima depending on the composition.     

Ag/Si核壳结构纳米颗粒粒子系的吸收特性研究

当电子振动频率与入射光的频率相同时,部分金属纳米颗粒可以在其表面激发局部表面等离子共振效应(LSPR),该波长下颗粒的吸收增强。这种效应也被应用于增强拉曼光谱信号的强度。本文研究了以Ag为外壳材料、Si为内核的核壳结构纳米颗粒粒子系的吸收特性。采用时域有限差分方法求解了颗粒随机分布粒子系的吸收率,分析了颗粒体积分数、内核外壳尺寸、椭球化等因素对粒子系吸收特性的影响以及对吸收峰的调控作用。     

Controlling SERS intensity by tuning the size and height of a silver nanoparticle array

It is demonstrated that the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) intensity of R6G molecules adsorbed on a Ag nanoparticle array can be controlled by tuning the size and height of the nanoparticles. A firm Ag nanoparticle array was fabricated on glass substrate by using nanosphere lithography (NSL) combined with reactive ion etching (RIE). Different sizes of Ag nanoparticles were fabricated with seed polystyrene nanospheres ranging from 430 nm to 820 nm in diameter. By depositing different thicknesses of Ag film and lifting off nanospheres from the surface of the substrate, the height of the Ag nanoparticles can be tuned. It is observed that the SERS enhancement factor will increase when the size of the Ag nanoparticles decreases and the deposition thickness of the Ag film increases. An enhancement factor as high as 2×10⁶ can be achieved when the size of the polystyrene nanospheres is 430 nm in diameter and the height of the Ag nanoparticles is 96 nm. By using a confocal Raman mapping technique, we also demonstrate that the intensity of Raman scattering is enhanced due to the local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) occurring in the Ag nanoparticle array.     

Engineering embedded metal nanoparticles with ion beam technology

In this paper, we summarize our recent results of study on how to engineer the embedded metal nanoparticles in silica by ion implantation and ion irradiation technologies, including controlling the size, distribution and morphology of nanoparticles. The optical properties of the tailored nanoparticle composites are studied. Thermal annealing, electron beam irradiation, and chemical erosion are used to study the stability of these embedded nanoparticles by ex situ or in situ transmission electron microscopy observation.     

Confined clustering of AuCu nanoparticles under ambient conditions

The study of bimetallic clusters has been increasing in recent years due to the wide range of novel applications, when compared with monometallic nanoparticles This paper presents a simple method of low toxicity to obtain bimetallic nanoparticle clusters of AuCu. The localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of the nanoalloy was located in a value in between those reported for AuNP and CuNP. Raman bands of nanoparticle clusters of AuCu were observed in the range 130-300 cm^?1. The structural and optical analysis of the synthesized nanoparticles confirmed the presence of the bond Au-Cu, with a particle size ranging from 1 to 2 nm. The geometries and vibrational modes were predicted for small metallic clusters of Au, Cu and bimetallic AuCu. The AgCu nanoparticles have been recently implemented in glasses to study optical properties, as well as antibacterial applications.     

Characterization of protein-conjugating kinetics based on localized surface plasmon resonance of the gold nanoparticle

The gold nanoparticle exhibits optical property of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), which dynamically alters as the surface adsorbs new ligands. We carried out a semi-quantitative analysis with the method of multivariate curve resolution, observing that the adsorption of serum albumin on gold nanoparticle was best deciphered as two-mode competitive kinetics. Interestingly, for human serum albumin, the slower mode contributed considerably to the LSPR response of protein-conjugated surfaces, while in the case of bovine serum albumin the faster mode overwhelmed the slower one at high protein concentrations. The kinetic patterns were rationalized with diversity of biomolecular orientations on the nanoparticle surface. The simple but efficient protocol supports semi-quantitative analysis combining UV-vis spectroscopy with chemometrics method for distinguishing conjugation kinetics of different types of proteins on the surface of nanoparticles at nanomolar concentration.     

绝缘体中金属离子注入合成纳米颗粒的理论研究

理论上提出了利用离散电子态来计算绝缘体中金属纳米颗粒Fermi能级的方法,给出了金属纳米颗粒的能级结构,并得到了依据金属纳米颗粒等离子体共振峰计算金属纳米颗粒尺寸的新公式.该理论可解释相关现象,通过实验初步验证了该理论的正确性. 关键词： 离子注入 金属纳米颗粒 绝缘体 Fermi能级     

金属纳米颗粒LSPR光纤生物传感DDA方法研究

研究了金属纳米颗粒的局部表面等离子体共振(LSPR)行为,并讨论了其在光纤生物传感领域的应用.采用离散偶极近似(DDA)的方法,从理论上分析了金属纳米颗粒的尺寸、形状对其传感灵敏度的影响.计算结果显示,金属纳米颗粒的等离子共振吸收峰同时受到颗粒尺寸和形状的影响,但形状对其传感灵敏度的影响最为明显,计算结果与实验数据能较好地吻合.     

A computational study of the optical response of strongly coupled metal nanoparticle chains

We study the optical response of strongly coupled metal nanoparticle chains using rigorous multiple scattering calculations. The collective resonant frequency of silver nanosphere chains and the coupling between chains are considered. The coupling between silver nanoparticle chains are understood by the transmission and reflection calculations of 2D periodic arrays of nanospheres. The results are in agreement with recent experiments. The splitting of plasmon resonance modes for different polarizations of the incident light are explored. Our results show that the transverse mode resonant wavelength is very sensitive to the inter-chain distance. Results on the effect of disorder are also presented.     

Study of the composite based on iron-containing nanoparticles dispersed in the polyethylene matrix

A composite representing a system of iron-based nanoparticles about 5 nm in size embedded in a high-pressure polyethylene matrix has been studied. The technology of preparation of this material has been described. The transmission electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and nuclear gamma-resonance spectroscopy data presented have been used to establish the volumes of the metal and oxide phases of a nanoparticle and the composition of its oxide shell.     

Using Solution-Phase Nanoparticles, Surface-Confined Nanoparticle Arrays and Single Nanoparticles as Biological Sensing Platforms

The intense colors of noble metal nanoparticles have inspired artists and fascinated scientists for hundreds of years. In this review, we describe three sensing platforms based on the tunability of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of gold and silver nanoparticles. Specifically, the color associated with solution-phase nanoparticles, surface-confined nanoparticle arrays, and single nanoparticles will be shown to be tunable and useful as platforms for biological sensing.     

Charge transfer between sensing and targeted metal nanoparticles in indirect nanoplasmonic sensors

In indirect nanoplasmonic sensors, the plasmonic metal nanoparticles are adjacent to the material of interest, and the material-related changes of their optical properties are used to probe that material. If the latter itself represents another metal in the form of nanoparticles, its deposition is accompanied by charge transfer to or from the plasmonic nanoparticles in order to equalize the Fermi levels. We estimate the value of the transferred charge and show on the two examples, nanoparticle sintering and hydride formation, that the charge transfer has negligible influence on the probed processes, because the effect of charge transfer is less important than that of nanoparticle surface energy. This further corroborates the non-invasive nature of nanoplasmonic sensors.     

A facile high‐performance SERS substrate based on broadband near‐perfect optical absorption

Plasmonic systems based on metal nanoparticles on a metal film with high optical absorption have generated great interests for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). In this study, we prepare a broadband‐visible light absorber consisting Au nanotriangles on the surface of a continuous optically opaque gold film separated with a dielectric SiO₂ layer, which is a typical metal‐insulator‐metal (MIM) system, and demonstrate it as an efficient SERS substrate. The MIM nanostructure, prepared using nanosphere lithography with a very large area, shows a broadband with absorption exceeding 90% in the wavelength regime of 630–920 nm. We observe an average SERS enhancement factor (EF) as large as 4.9 × 10⁶ with a 22‐fold increase compared to a single layer of Au nanotriangles directly on a quartz substrate. A maximum SERS EF can be achieved by optimizing the thicknesses of the dielectric layer to control the optical absorption. Owing to the simple, productive, and inexpensive fabrication technique, our MIM nanostructure could be a potential candidate for SERS applications. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of the number of iron oxide nanoparticle layers on the magnetic properties of nanocomposite LbL assemblies

Aqueous colloidal suspension of iron oxide nanoparticles has been synthesized. Z-potential of iron oxide nanoparticles stabilized by citric acid was −35±3 mV. Iron oxide nanoparticles have been characterized by the light scattering method and transmission electron microscopy. The polyelectrolyte/iron oxide nanoparticle thin films with different numbers of iron oxide nanoparticle layers have been prepared on the surface of silicon substrates via the layer-by-layer assembly technique. The physical properties and chemical composition of nanocomposite thin films have been studied by atomic force microscopy, magnetic force microscopy, magnetization measurements, Raman spectroscopy. Using the analysis of experimental data it was established, that the magnetic properties of nanocomposite films depended on the number of iron oxide nanoparticle layers, the size of iron oxide nanoparticle aggregates, the distance between aggregates, and the chemical composition of iron oxide nanoparticles embedded into the nanocomposite films. The magnetic permeability of nanocomposite coatings has been calculated. The magnetic permeability values depend on the number of iron oxide nanoparticle layers in nanocomposite film.     

Plasmonics and SERS activity of post-transition metal nanoparticles

Nanoparticles of the post-transition metals, In, Sn, Pb, and Bi, and of the metalloid Sb were produced by laser ablation synthesis in solution (LASiS) and tested for localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Vis optical absorption, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Several organic and biological molecules were tested, and SERS activity was demonstrated for all tested nanoparticles and molecules. The Raman enhancement factor for each nanoparticle class and molecule was experimentally determined. The search for new plasmonic nanostructures is important mainly for life sciences-related applications and this study expands the range of SERS active systems.     

Formation of silver nanoparticles on the silicate glass surface after ion exchange

It has been experimentally shown that water vapor thermal treatment of silicate glasses with silver ions introduced by ion exchange leads to the formation of a silver nanoparticle layer with a high packing density on the glass surface. The results of studying the morphology of samples by atomic force and electron microscopy and X-ray spectral analysis of the composition of nanoparticles, as well as the optical density and luminescence spectra in different stages of the treatment, are presented. Mechanisms explaining the processes responsible for silver nanoparticle formation upon water vapor thermal treatment on the glass surface after ion exchange are proposed.     

Metal Nanoparticle Photocatalysts: Synthesis,Characterization, and Application

Metal nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as a kind of new photocatalyst to drive various chemical reactions by visible‐light irradiation. A distinct advantage of metal NP photocatalysts is that their light absorption is not limited to a certain wavelength but instead they are able to utilize a broad range of wavelengths, constituting a large fraction of the solar spectrum. Metal NPs like gold, silver, and copper NPs can strongly absorb visible light due to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect. Recent developments have shown that the light absorption properties strongly depend on the shape, size, and particle–particle interactions of NPs, which directly influence their photocatalytic activities. In this review, an overview of the preparation of metal NPs photocatalysts with various morphologies is given along with a brief discussion of the relationship between the morphology/composition and optical properties. The latest photocatalytic applications of these morphologies are also presented, and some of the challenges for the development of metal NPs photocatalysts are provided.     

菱形金属纳米粒子光学性质的研究

金属纳米粒子的光学性质与金属纳米粒子的组成、形状、尺寸及周围的介电常数有关。利用时域有限差分法研究菱形纳米粒子的尺寸与其消光特性关系, 发现粒子尺寸的大小对其消光谱共振峰有较大影响, 随着粒子尺寸的增大, 消光谱共振峰可分裂成两个或多个共振峰。而且在可见光范围内波长大于480 nm的区域, 表面等离子体共振峰是偶极子激发模式; 而在波长小于480 nm的区域, 共振模式则比较复杂, 有偶极子模式, 也有多极子模式。计算表明, 波长为480~ 600 nm区间与波长大于600 nm的区间, 菱形纳米粒子的尺寸对消光光谱的峰值和谱线宽度影响不同。在波长为480~600 nm之间, 短轴为140 nm时, 其消光效率最高。     

芯帽纳米颗粒的光热性质

贵金属纳米结构中的光热效应在肿瘤光热治疗、光热成像、纳米药物等领域具有重要的应用价值.各向异性的芯帽纳米结构以其丰富的可调结构参数和对激发光偏振态敏感的特性,可灵活地在近红外波段获得理想的光学吸收性质,从而可以实现温度的高效调节.本文基于有限元方法研究了颗粒物纳米结构参数对其光热效果的作用规律,数值结果表明:通过对结构参数的微量改变(包括金壳厚度、芯壳比、芯径、金属表面覆盖率等)可实现温度的显著调整;在偏振态的旋转范围(30?—70?)内可快速地产生大温变光热的准线性调整.其不弱于纳米芯壳和纳米棒结构的光热性能可为纳米光热生医研究提供一种新的选择.