Kinetically controlled synthesis of triangular and hexagonal nanoplates of palladium and their SPR/SERS properties

The rapid reduction of Na(2)PdCl(4) by ethylene glycol in the presence of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) has recently been demonstrated as a convenient method of generating Pd cubooctahedra and twinned nanoparticles. Here we describe a new procedure where Pd triangular or hexagonal nanoplates could be selectively synthesized by manipulating the reduction kinetics of the polyol process. More specifically, the reduction rate was substantially reduced through the introduction of Fe(III) species and the O(2)/Cl(-) pair, two wet etchants for Pd(0). The etching power of the O(2)/Cl(-) pair could be further enhanced by adding an acid to lower the pH of the reaction solution. Unlike the previously reported synthesis of Ag and Au nanoplates, light was found to have no indispensable role in the formation of Pd nanoplates. Both triangular and hexagonal nanoplates of Pd exhibited surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peaks in the visible region, and their positions matched with the results of discrete dipole approximation (DDA) calculation. Thanks to their sharp corners and edges, these Pd nanoplates could serve as active substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS).     

Attenuating surface plasmon resonance via core/alloy architectures

The layer-by-layer processing of Au/Au(x)Pd(1-x) core/alloy nanoparticles via microwave irradiation (MWI) based hydrothermal heating is described. Alloy shell growth was monitored by the attenuation of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) as a function of shell thickness and composition. Discrete dipole approximation (DDA) correlated the SPR to particle morphology.     

Estimation of dielectric function of biotin-capped gold nanoparticles via signal enhancement on surface plasmon resonance

Biotin-capped gold nanoparticles assembled on flat gold with volume fraction f are studied by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) in order to estimate the dielectric function of the gold nanoparticles based on the Maxwell-Garnett (MG) theory. The complex dielectric function (epsilon',epsilon') of the spherical nanoparticles at three representative wavelengths in the vis-near-IR region, i.e., lambda = 543, 632.8, and 1152 nm, is estimated for a surface homogeneously covered with nanoparticles in order to discuss the wavelength dependence of the dielectric function. The SPR response of a surface covered with particles in 2D aggregates is also analyzed. The experimental SPR curve of the particle aggregates deviates from the theoretical predictions, suggesting dipole interactions between particles.     

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering studies on aggregated silver nanoplates in aqueous solution

Four different sizes of citrate-protected silver nanoplates with the corresponding in-plane dipole resonance band at 530, 619, 778, and 858 nm, respectively, are synthesized for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) study. Their aggregation behaviors are monitored by use of UV-vis spectroscopy. During the aggregation process, a marked red shift of the in-plane dipole resonance of silver nanoplates is observed, whereas other resonance modes of them only have small alterations in the site or intensity. Aggregated silver nanoplates can serve as active SERS substrates with an enhancement factor of about 4.5 x 10(5) using 2-aminothiophenol as a probing molecule. The SERS performance of silver nanoplates is even superior to the commonly used Lee-Meisel silver colloid, making them very attractive for SERS applications.     

Confined plasmons in nanofabricated single silver particle pairs: experimental observations of strong interparticle interactions

We report on the optical properties of single isolated silver nanodisks and pairs of disks fabricated by electron beam lithography. By systematically varying the disk size and surface separation and recording elastic scattering spectra in different polarization configurations, we found evidence for extremely strong interparticle interactions. The dipolar surface plasmon resonance for polarization parallel to the dimer axis exhibited a red shift as the interdimer separation was decreased; as expected from previous work, an extremely strong shift was observed. The scattering spectra of single particles and pairs separated by more than one particle radius can be well described by the coupled dipole approximation (CDA), where the particles are approximated as point dipoles using a modified dipole polarizability for oblate spheroids. For smaller particle separations (d < 20 nm), the simple dipole model severely underestimates the particle interaction, indicating the importance of multipolar fields and finite-size effects. The discrete dipole approximation (DDA), which is a finite-element method, describes the experimental results well even at d < 20 nm, including particles that have metallic bridges.     

A spherical harmonic transform spectral analysis of a localized surface plasmon on a gold nano shell

We perform a study of the localized surface plasmon (LSP) modes of a gold nano shell having a silica core by means of discrete dipole approximation (DDA) and spherical harmonics transform for selected wavelengths. We demonstrate an efficient solution for the near and intermediate field terms by the dyadic Green function approach and determine the optical extinction efficiency by the far field term. Using this approach, we combine the advantages of a spectral analysis along with a DDA flexibility to solve an arbitrary shaped model and demonstrate the LSP dominant mode wavelength dependency. Our approach provides a metric which may be used to quantify the effects of minor changes in the model structure, or the external dielectric environment, in optical experiments. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

An optical immunosensor based on surface plasmon resonance for determination of bFGF

An optical immunosensor based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) has been developed for immunosensing. The sensor is designed on the basis of fixing incident angle of light and measuring the reflected intensities in the wavelength range of 400-800 nm simultaneously. The SPR spectrum was shown in terms of reflected light intensities versus wavelengths of incident light. The intensity of the reflected light reaches the minimum at the resonant wavelength. Molecular self-assembling in solution is used to form the sensing membrane on gold substrate. The kinetic processes of sensing monolayer formation were studied. The basic fibroblast growth factor, a kind of basic polypeptide, was determined in the concentration range of 0.24-9.6 μg/ml. Under optimum experimental conditions, the sensor has a good repeatability, reversibility and selectivity.     

紫外光辐照法制备金纳米盘及其反应机理

用紫外光辐照氯金酸、聚乙烯吡咯烷酮(PVP)和纳米金种子的混合溶液, 在室温下用30 min制备出尺度小于100 nm的截角三角形或六边形金纳米盘. X射线能谱和衍射分析表明粒子是以{111}面为盘状面的高纯面心立方金单晶, 红外透射光谱表明金粒子与PVP之间存在作用. 产物的可见吸收光谱表现出纳米盘的各向异性表面等离子体共振吸收峰. 不同实验条件下产物的吸收光谱分析表明: PVP起还原剂和包覆剂的作用; 高强度紫外光加速了反应进行; 种子对反应具有催化作用; 种子的加入量有最佳值, 在该值下纳米盘平均尺度最大(达80 nm), 吸收谱上的面内偶极共振峰位于950 nm处; 种子的加入量超过该值时, 纳米盘尺度变小, 面内偶极共振峰发生蓝移.     

Labeled gold nanoparticles immobilized at smooth metallic substrates: systematic investigation of surface plasmon resonance and surface-enhanced Raman scattering

This paper experimentally and theoretically investigates the influence of an underlying metallic substrate (i.e., gold and silver) on the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of labeled gold nanoparticles and the concomitant impact on the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signal from the labels. These experiments employ nanoparticles of varied sizes (30-100 nm) that are coated with a bifunctional Raman scatterer composed of (1) a disulfide for chemisorption to the nanoparticle surface, (2) a succinimidyl ester for formation of a covalent linkage to an amine-terminated self-assembled monolayer on the underlying substrate, and (3) an aryl nitro group with an intrinsically strong Raman active vibrational mode. This approach allows facile systematic assessments of how variations in nanoparticle size, substrate composition, and the gap between the nanoparticle and substrate affect the SPR of the bound particles. Both UV-vis transmission and reflection absorption (incident angle of 58 degrees ) spectroscopy are used to characterize the effect of each of these parameters on SPR. These results are then correlated with SERS enhancement factors (EFs) that were determined by accounting for particle surface concentrations, which were measured by atomic force microscopy, and the absolute number of labels, which were calculated on the basis of the surface area of each of the different-sized particles. All SERS spectra were collected at an incident angle of 58 degrees with respect to the surface normal. As expected, the SPR for particles in solution red-shifts with increasing particle size. More importantly, the SPR moves to even longer wavelengths as the size of immobilized particles increases and as the gap between the immobilized particle and substrate decreases. The red shift is also greater for a gold nanoparticle tethered to a gold substrate compared to a silver substrate. A theoretical model for the extinction of a particle above a flat substrate, corrected for surface scattering, radiation damping, and dynamic depolarization, is also briefly detailed. SPR results calculated with the model are consistent with the shifts observed in the SPR position for each of the manipulated experimental variables. The largest EFs are found for samples with an SPR maximum (lambda(max)) between the wavelengths for laser excitation (633 nm) and the Raman band for the symmetric nitro stretch of the particle coating (690 nm). As an example, an order of magnitude in the SERS enhancement factor is gained for a 60-nm particle immobilized 1.2 nm above a gold substrate (SPR lambda(max) = 657 nm) compared to that for a 30-nm particle (SPR lambda(max) = 596 nm).     

The ab initio charge deformation density of bicyclobutane from an extended gaussian basis

The charge deformation density of bicyclobutane has been derived from SCF wavefunctions computed with two contracted gaussian bases, of double-zeta and double-zeta-plus-polarization quality. Carbon—carbon bond peaks are displaced to the outside of the three-carbon rings, the peak in the bridge bond being flatter and further from the CC line than those in the non-fused bonds. Inclusion of polarization functions broadens these peaks so that they merge in a flat plateau inside each cyclopropane triangle. The side bonds are also bent slightly out of the ring plane, evidently by non-bonded repulsion between the methylene carbon atoms. Partitioning into atomic fragments produces almost neutral atoms but the CH dipoles add up to give a molecular moment of 0.685 D, in excellent agreement with experiment. They also contribute to a net charge contraction towards the center of mass, whose calculated anisotropy agrees satisfactorily with the measured quadrupole moments. Multipole moments of the atomic deformation densities and inner moments of the total molecular charge about the atomic centers provide a detailed quantitative characterization of the charge distribution.     

Time‐Dependent Surface Plasmon Resonance Spectroscopy of Silver Nanoprisms in the Presence of Halide Ions

Herein, we find that the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectra of silver nanoprisms in the presence of halide ions change gradually with reaction time. The changes in the spectra correspond to the shape transformation of silver nanoprisms. There are threshold concentrations of halide ions that initiate the shape‐transformation reaction. The threshold concentrations for Cl^?, Br^?, and I^? are about 3×10^?4 M , 1×10^?6 M , and 1.5×10^?6 M , respectively. Any concentrations of the added halide ions above these thresholds can eventually etch the silver nanoprisms into nanodisks if the reaction time is long enough. The higher the concentration of the halide ions, the higher the etching rate will be. The kinetics of the shape transformation of the silver nanoprisms can be studied by recording their time‐dependent surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectra on a commercial UV/Vis–NIR spectrometer. The peak positions of in‐plane dipole SPR bands of silver colloids in the presence of chloride and bromide ions can be fitted very well with the biexponential functions. We propose that the fast components of the biexponential behaviors should correlate to the truncating effect on the corners of silver nanoprisms, and the slow component should correlate to the redeposition of the truncated residues onto the basal plane of the nanoplates.     

边长为微米级的银纳米片的简易合成与形成机理

用低温(60 ℃)溶剂热法, 以N,N-二甲基甲酰胺(DMF)为主还原剂和溶剂, 以聚乙烯吡咯烷酮(PVP)为辅助还原剂和晶面生长控制剂, 以硝酸银为前驱物, 大量制备了高纯度的、边长为微米级、宽厚比≥10的单晶银纳米片. 采用粉末X射线衍射(PXRD)、场发射扫描电镜(FE-SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)等表征和分析了合成产物的成分、形貌和结构. 结果表明, 合成的银纳米片为面心立方单晶, 边长为1-4 μm, 厚度为50-100 nm. 考察了不同溶剂对银纳米结构的影响, 并提出了大尺寸的银纳米片的形成机理. 本文为调控单晶银纳米片的边长和宽厚比提供了一种新的可靠的动力学方法, 制备的长边长、大宽厚比的单晶银纳米片在聚合物基导电复合材料和电磁屏蔽材料方面有潜在的重要应用.     

烟草花叶病毒介导合成三角形金纳米片

利用碱处理烟草花叶病毒的生物还原性和辅助结构导向作用,在室温下以水为溶剂直接还原氯金酸制备出三角形金纳米片。采取透射电子显微镜（TEM）、高分辨透射电子显微镜（HRTEM）、选区电子衍射（SAED）和紫外-可见光谱仪（UV-Vis）等对所制备金纳米片的结构和性能进行了表征。结果显示,所制备三角形金纳米片为单晶,三角面为{111}晶面簇,边长在40 ~120 nm之间,厚度约为15 nm。该材料在可见光区有两个等离子共振吸收峰,在感光成像、生物检测和催化等领域具有很好的应用前景。     

Shape and size effects in the optical properties of metallic nanorods

The influence of size and geometrical shape on the optical properties of randomly oriented metallic nanorods is investigated using the discrete dipole approximation (DDA). Our calculations provide a benchmark for an accurate characterisation of nanorod suspensions by frequently used optical spectroscopic techniques. Our DDA results confirm the longitudinal plasmon resonance to be primarily affected by the nanorod aspect ratio, and also verify that the quasi-static (dipole) approximation for ellipsoidal particles is only valid for very small sizes. For prolate ellipsoidal and cylindrical nanorods with an identical aspect ratio, the latter exhibit a longitudinal resonance at significantly longer wavelengths. The importance of phase retardation and multipole contributions for larger nanorod dimensions is discussed. Also, we investigate the influence on the optical spectra of electron surface scattering, which arises from the limited size of the nanorods in comparison to the electron mean free path.     

Controlled plasmon resonance properties of hollow gold nanosphere aggregates

Hollow gold nanospheres (HGNs) ranging from 29.9 nm/8.5 nm (outer diameter/shell thickness) to 51.5 nm/4.5 nm and having aspect ratios spanning 3.5-11.7 were employed to investigate the ability to tailor charge oscillations of HGN aggregates by systematic variation of particle aspect ratio, interparticle gap, and nanosphere inner surface spatial separation. Altering these properties in aggregated HGNs led to control over the interparticle plasmon resonance. Thiol-mediated aggregation was accomplished using either ethanedithiol or cysteine, resulting in dimeric structures in which monomer subunits were spatially separated by <3 ? and 1.2 ± 0.7 nm, respectively. Particle dimensions and separation distances were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Experimental absorption spectra obtained for high-aspect ratio nanospheres dimerized using ethanedithiol exhibited an obvious blue shift of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) relative to that observed for the native, monomeric HGN. This spectral difference likely results from a charge-transfer plasmon resonance at the dimer interface. The extent of the blue shift was dependent upon shell thickness. Dimers comprised of thin-shelled HGNs exhibited the largest shift; aggregates containing HGNs with thick shells (≥7 nm) did not display a significant SPR shift when the individual particles were in contact. By comparison, all cysteine-induced aggregates examined in this study displayed large interparticle gaps (>1 nm) and a red-shifted SPR, regardless of particle dimensions. This effect can be described fully by a surface mode coupling model. All experimental measurements were verified by finite difference time domain calculations. In addition, simulated electric field maps highlighted the importance of the inner HGN surface in the interparticle coupling mechanism. These findings, which describe structure-dependent SPR properties, may be significant for applications derived from the plasmonic nanostructure platform.     

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering: realization of localized surface plasmon resonance using unique substrates and methods

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) enhancement and the reproducibility of the SERS signal strongly reflect the quality and nature of the SERS substrates because of diverse localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) excitations excited at interstitials or sharp edges. LSPR excitations are the most important ingredients for achieving huge enhancements in the SERS process. In this report, we introduce several gold and silver nanoparticle-based SERS-active substrates developed solely by us and use these substrates to investigate the influence of LSPR excitations on SERS. SERS-active gold substrates were fabricated by immobilizing colloidal gold nanoparticles on glass slides without using any surfactants or electrolytes, whereas most of the SERS-active substrates that use colloidal gold/silver nanoparticles are not free of surfactant. Isolated aggregates, chain-like elongated aggregates and two-dimensional (2D) nanostructures were found to consist mostly of monolayers rather than agglomerations. With reference to correlated LSPR and SERS, combined experiments were carried out on a single platform at the same spatial position. The isolated aggregates mostly show a broadened and shifted SPR peak, whereas a weak blue-shifted peak is observed near 430 nm in addition to broadened peaks centered at 635 and 720 nm in the red spectral region in the chain-like elongated aggregates. In the case of 2D nanostructures, several SPR peaks are observed in diverse frequency regions. The characteristics of LSPR and SERS for the same gold nanoaggregates lead to a good correlation between SPR and SERS images. The elongated gold nanostructures show a higher enhancement of the Raman signal than the the isolated and 2D samples. In the case of SERS-active silver substrates for protein detection, a new approach has been adopted, in contrast to the conventional fabrication method. Colloidal silver nanoparticles are immobilized on the protein functionalized glass slides, and further SERS measurements are carried out based on LSPR excitations. A new strategy for the detection of biomolecules, particularly glutathione, under aqueous conditions is proposed. Finally, supramolecular J-aggregates of ionic dyes incorporated with silver colloidal aggregates are characterized by SERS measurements and correlated to finite-difference time-domain analysis with reference to LSPR excitations. Figure SPR and SERS images for isolated, elongated and two-dimensional gold nanostructures     

壳聚糖介质金纳米盘的可控合成及生长机理

水浴加热氯金酸、壳聚糖和纳米金种子的混合液,以壳聚糖为稳定剂和还原剂成功合成了表面等离子体共振(SPR)吸收峰位可调的金纳米盘.SEM电镜图像表明纳米金盘主要为三角形和截角三角形,其边长在170 nm左右.X射线衍射分析表明金纳米盘是以{111}面为盘状面的高纯金单晶.讨论了金纳米盘的生长机理.在最佳条件下金纳米盘的面内偶极等离子共振吸收峰位于920 nm.实验结果表明通过控制壳聚糖的量、金种子的加入量、水浴温度及水浴时间可以有效地控制近红外等离子吸收峰位及吸收强度.     

Large-scale synthesis and self-assembly of monodisperse hexagon Cu2S nanoplates

One simple high-temperature solution phase method has been developed to synthesize large-scale, monodisperse, hexgon beta-Cu2S nanoplates. The hexgon nanoplates have edge lengths of 9 +/- 0.5 nm and thicknesses of 4.5 +/- 0.2 nm and self-assemble closely into three-dimensional superlattices. The present results suggest that the simple method might be useful for the synthesis ofmonodispese hexagon nanoplates for many other chalcogenide semiconductors with hexagonal symmetry structure.     

Effect of the dielectric constant of the surrounding medium and the substrate on the surface plasmon resonance spectrum and sensitivity factors of highly symmetric systems: silver nanocubes

Silver nanocubes (AgNCs), 60 nm, have four extinction surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peaks. The finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulation method is used to assign the absorption and scattering peaks and also to calculate the plasmon field intensity for AgNCs. Because AgNCs have a highly symmetric cubic shape, there is a uniform distribution of the plasmon field around them, and they are thus sensitive to asymmetric dielectric perturbations. When the dielectric medium around a nanoparticle is changed anisotropically, either by placing the particle on a substrate or by coating it asymmetrically with a solvent, the plasmon field is distorted, and the plasmonic absorption and scattering spectra could shift differently. For the 60 nm AgNC, we found that the scattering resonance peak shifted more than the absorption peak. This changes the extinction bandwidth of these overlapping absorption and scattering bands, and consequently the figure of merit of the nanoparticle, as a localized SPR sensor, no longer has a constant value.     

MAGNETIC CIRCULAR DICHROISM OF BACTERIOCHLOROPHYLL a IN SOLUTION AND IN A PROTEIN

Abstract— The magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) (300–850nm) of the bacteriochlorophyll (Bchl) a -protein from the green photosynthetic bacterium Prosthecochloris aestuarii 2 K is qualitatively similar to the MCD of Bchl a in methanol and ether solution. This result implies that the transition dipole of the lowest energy electronic transition (near 800 nm) is roughly perpendicular to the transition dipole of the next higher electronic band (near 600nm) for Bchl a molecules in the protein just as it is for molecules in solution. This result provides no support for the recent proposal that interactions with the protein rotates the direction of the transition dipoles of the 800nm band of all the Bchl a molecules in the protein by 90°. While a rotation of the 800nm transition dipoles cannot be rigorously excluded, it would be necessary for the postulated perturbation to rotate the transition dipoles of both the 800 and 600nm bands by 90°. In a broader sense, any postulated perturbation would have to be shown to leave both the absorption spectrum and the MCD largely unaffected. MCD is a more sensitive test than absorption spectroscopy for perturbations of electronic states and changes in the relative orientation of transitions, because it depends on both the magnitudes and directions of at least two electric and one magnetic transition dipole.