Hierarchical plasmonic-metal/semiconductor micro/nanostructures: green synthesis and application in catalytic reduction of <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-nitrophenol

Hierarchical micro/nano arrays can offer both the advantages of nano-sized building blocks and micro- or submicrometer-sized ordered arrays, therefore representing one kind of potential functional materials and having received enormous attention for a wealth of applications. In this study, four-dimensionally flower-like CuO micro/nanostructures decorated by Au nanoparticles are synthesized via an environmentally friendly route assisted by polyethylene glycol. Experiments reveal that the product demonstrates high catalytic performance for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol using NaBH₄ as the reducing agent, which could be attributed to the rich Au/CuO interfaces in the samples. Compared to the pure noble metal catalysts, the obtained sample is quite economic. In terms of methodology and cost-effectiveness, this study proposes an economically useful and green method to produce a highly efficient metal-based catalyst. It is also a good example for the organic combination of green chemistry and functional materials.     

金银复合体系表面增强拉曼光谱分离

采用传统自组装技术在硅片表面进行金银纳米粒子的复合组装.以吡啶为探针分子,利用金银在不同激发光线下增强效应的不同,研究了不同波长的激发光下纯金、银以及复合组装时体系的SERS效应.结果表明在金银同时组装时的增强效应强于金弱于银,同时还通过一系列校正以及差谱方法分离出金银共存时SERS中金的增强效应,并进行了相关分析,结果表明在金银同时组装的复合体系中,金银之间产生一定的耦合作用.     

硫氰根在金银复合基底上的表面增强拉曼光谱研究

采用自组装技术在硅基底卜进行金银纳米粒子的复合组装,通过控制组装溶液中金溶胶和银溶胶的体积比进而控制基底上金银纳米粒子的密度.采用紫外可见漫反射和SEM对复合基底进行了表征,结果显示硅基底上金银同时存在且呈亚单层均匀分布.以硫氰根为探针分子研究了纯金、纯银以及混合组装时复合基底的SERS效应.通过一系列的校正表明,在金银同时存在的复合基底上,硫氰根的三键伸缩振动频率和特征峰的形状相对于单组分基底而言都接近于在银基底上的特征谱峰.对实验结果进行分析后认为,当金银同时组装在基底上时,金和银之间有一定的耦合作用,这种耦合作用最终导致金的SERS效应逐渐趋向于银.     

One-step synthesis of silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles by electrooxidation of iron in sodium silicate solution

In the present study, solid-solution gold?Cplatinum (Au?CPt) nanoparticles with controllable compositions were fabricated by high-intensity femtosecond laser irradiation of an aqueous solution of gold and platinum ions without any chemicals and complicated processes. Transmittance electron microscopy revealed that the single nanometer-sized particles were fabricated by femtosecond laser irradiation of mixed aqueous solutions of gold and platinum ions. The crystalline structure of nanoparticles was characterized by electron and X-ray diffractions. Contrary to the bulk Au?CPt binary systems, which commonly contain a pair of diffraction peaks between pure gold and platinum peaks because of its large miscibility gap in phase diagram, or mixture of Au and Pt, the diffraction peaks of Au?CPt nanoparticles fabricated in the experiment showed a characteristic of the fcc-type lattice. Moreover, the diffraction patterns shifted monotonically from the peak position of pure gold to that of pure platinum as the fractions of platinum ions in the solution were increased. These observations strongly imply that the Au?CPt nanoparticles were solid solution with intended compositions. This technique is not only simple and environmentally friendly, but also applicable to other binary and ternary systems.     

Enhanced photoluminescence from gallium arsenide semiconductor coated with Au nanoparticles

We demonstrate a method for improving photoluminescence of gallium arsenide semiconductor by simply coating a thin layer of Au nanoparticles on its surface. Further focused ion beam bombardment at the sputter-coated Au film was conducted to control the size, the distribution, and the morphology of the Au nanoparticles via the changes of the focused ion-beam irradiation conditions. Photoluminescence of GaAs coated with the Au nanoparticles with average size of 5 nm in diameter is enhanced to about threefold relative to that of pure GaAs. Numerical calculations were conducted based on finite-different time-domain method. Results indicated that the enhancement is mainly attributed to the contribution of local surface plasmon resonance of Au nanoparticles.     

Fabrication of NIR‐Excitable SERS‐Active Composite Particles Composed of Densely Packed Au Nanoparticles on Polymer Microparticles

A simple fabrication method is demonstrated for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)‐active plasmonic nanoballs, which consisted of Au nanoparticles (NPs) and core–shell polystyrene and amino‐terminated poly(butadiene) particles, by heterocoagulation and Au NP diffusion. The amount of Au NPs introduced into the core–shell particles increases with the concentration of Au NPs added to the aqueous dispersion of the core–shell particles. When the amount of Au NPs increases, closely packed, three‐dimensionally arranged and close‐packed Au NPs arrays are formed in the shells. Strong SERS signals from para‐mercaptophenol adsorbed onto composite particles with multilayered Au NPs arrays are obtained by near‐infrared (NIR) light illumination.     

Enhanced light absorption of TiO(2) in the near-ultraviolet band by Au nanoparticles

We propose a scheme to enhance near-UV band absorption of a rutile TiO(2) nanoparticle by placing Au nanoparticles in its neighborhood. The discrete-dipole approximation method was employed to calculate the absorption spectrum of pure rutile TiO(2) and that of TiO(2) mixed with Au nanoparticles. The results indicate that pure rutile TiO(2) has its maximum absorption located in the deep-UV band. With the existence of Au nanoparticles, a significant light harvesting effect occurs, and this maximum shifts to the near-UV band, where usual excitation wavelength falls.     

不同Ag壳厚度Au@Ag纳米粒子的调控制备表征及表面增强拉曼光谱的效应

采用化学还原法制备了以Au为核、包覆Ag的双金属核壳Au@Ag纳米粒子,并成功地用于表面增强拉曼光谱(SERS)分析测试。通过改变制备液中Ag/Au的量比来调控Ag壳包覆厚度。采用透射电子显微镜(TEM)和紫外-可见光谱仪(UV-Vis)对Au@Ag纳米粒子的构貌进行表征。TEM显示明显存在核壳结构,且Ag壳层随Ag/Au的量比的增加而逐渐变厚;UV-Vis表明随着Ag/Au的量比的增加,Au@Ag纳米粒子出现了Au核与Ag壳吸收峰的2个等离子体共振峰,同时伴随着Au峰的蓝移和Ag峰的红移。以双甲脒为分析物,考察了不同Ag/Au的量比时的Au@Ag纳米粒子的SERS活性。结果表明,SERS活性随Ag/Au的量比的增加先增大后减小,在6∶5时其SERS增强效应最佳,此时Ag壳厚度约为6 nm。以对巯基苯胺(4-ATP)、结晶紫(CV)和双甲脒为分析测试对象,对比了Au@Ag、Ag、Au 3种基底的SERS活性。结果表明,所制备的Au@Ag纳米粒子的SERS活性要明显优于单纯的Au、Ag纳米粒子。     

Surface plasmon resonance in near-field coupled gold cylinder arrays fabricated by EUV-interference lithography and hot embossing

Arrays of metal nanoparticles with nanometer-scale gaps between the particles is highly interesting for plasmonic field enhancement applications. We report a simple method to fabricate arrays of closely spaced Au particles with inter-particle separation down to 20 nm. We used extreme ultraviolet interference lithography (EUV-IL) and a mechanical press to fabricate two-dimensional arrays of Au nanoparticles. Lithographically produced particle arrays were modified by hot pressing in a nanoimprint machine and the gap was varied in a range from 50 nm to below 20 nm. Optical measurement shows two resonances at 520 nm and 620 nm, with the latter gaining strength as the gap is reduced. The experimental and theoretical investigations using a FDTD algorithm demonstrate that the low-energy resonance can be assigned to a collective surface plasmon resonance arising from the strong near-field coupling between the nanoparticles. Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) experiments performed on a model molecule (BPE) show a large gain in signal intensity as a result of the reduced gaps between the particles.     

Study of Au-Pd core-shell nanoparticles by using slow positron beam

Binary Au-Pd nanoparticles were synthesized by ultrasonic irradiation of solutions containing Au³⁺ and Pd²⁺ ions (the ion ratio from 0.3:0.7 to 0.9:0.1 mM) and cationic surfactant (SDS: sodium dodecyl sulfate). In each case the core-shell structure (Au core, Pd shell) was confirmed by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The mean diameters of them were all about 9 nm, and the thickness of the Pd shell depends on the ratio of Pd²⁺ and Au³⁺ ions in solution. In order to study the electronic states of core-shell nanoparticles and their dependence on shell thickness, Doppler broadening measurements were performed for Au-Pd core-shell nanoparticles by using slow positron beam technique. The ratio curves of Au-Pd particles did not match with those of pure Pd and pure Au, but a small difference in the low electron momentum region was observed among nanoparticles depending on Pd shell thickness.     

X-ray-assisted formation of gold nanoparticles in soda lime silicate glass: suppressed Ostwald ripening

The in situ formation of gold nanoparticles in soda lime silicate glass under constant x-ray irradiation is compared with the ex situ formation in preirradiated glasses. The ASAXS measurements confirm that pure Au particles are formed. The comparison shows that the number of particles nucleated under irradiation is about an order of magnitude higher than of those nucleated with preirradiation. The radius, R, remains slightly below 1 nm under in situ conditions and the Ostwald ripening stage is slowed down. Under ex situ conditions Ostwald ripening is clearly observed and R grows up to 3 nm.     

两种纳米粒子的自组装及表面增强拉曼光谱研究

在氨基硅烷化的单晶硅片表面通过静电自组装技术组装上金和金核铂壳两种纳米粒子,通过改变基底浸泡在溶胶中的时间控制基底上纳米粒子的密度。用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)对基底表面上的形貌进行表征,结果表明纳米粒子呈亚单层二维阵列分布。以吡啶(Py)为探针分子,用波长为632.8 nm的激发光作为激发光源,研究纯金和金铂复合基底上的表面增强拉曼光谱(SERS)行为。数据显示在金纳米粒子之间引入金核铂壳纳米粒子后,Py的两个特征峰的频率没有明显变化,但谱峰的强度却变弱了,其SERS信号衰减最大可至原来的24%。这是由于引入的铂的d态电子使金的等离子体激发猝灭,从而破坏了电磁场增强,使金的SERS信号衰减。     

单个及阵列状金纳米环结构的LSPR光谱特性研究(英文)

In this paper, we simulate Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance(LSPR) absorption of periodic Au nano-ring arrays and single Au nanoparticles using the Finite Difference Time Domain(FDTD) method. We choose input plane waves of different wavelengths and discuss the relation between the absorption peak of the Au array and the variable external dielectric constants. It is found that the sensitivity of these sensors based on LSPR is improved compared to the common sensors and the enhancement is caused by the peri...     

Au-Pd共晶纳米粒子熔化行为的分子动力学研究

采用分子动力学方法结合嵌入原子势, 对Au-Pd共晶纳米粒子的热稳定性进行了模拟研究. 计算结果表明: Au-Pd纳米粒子的熔点明显高于Au单质纳米粒子而低于Pd纳米粒子. 通过计算Lindemann指数发现Au-Pd共晶纳米粒子中的Au原子首先熔化, 然后带动Pd原子的熔化; 熔化所经历的温度区间明显要宽于单质纳米粒子.     

Synthesis and properties of Au/ZnO nanorods as a plasmonic photocatalyst

It is of great interest to develop plasmonic photocatalysts with high activity and stability recently. In this paper, Au/ZnO nanorods were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method and used as photocatalysts for methyl orange dye degradation. The results revealed an interesting phenomenon that photocorrosion cracks were produced specially along the c-axis of pure ZnO nanorods for five cycles photodegradation experiments under UV–vis. light irradiation, while Au nanoparticles surface modification can effectively inhibit the occurrence of photocorrosion and improve its photocatalytic activity. The formation of photocorrossion cracks along the c-axis of pure ZnO nanorods verifies the photogenerated charges may follow the route that electrons migrate to Zn-terminated (0001) plane and holes to O-terminated $(000\stackrel{-}{1})$ plane. SPR effect of Au nanoparticles enhances the light absorption ability and the electrons capture ability of Au/ZnO nanorods. Moreover, the surface adsorbed hydroxyl groups content is also increased due to Au nanoparticles modification. As Au nanoparticles can capture photogenerated electrons and hydroxyl groups are the favorable holes scavenger, the charges generation and separation in photocatalysis are strengthened. Especially, the charges separation path in Au/ZnO nanorods have changed, thus inhibiting the occurrence of photocorrosion along the c-axis of ZnO nanorods and improving the photocatalytic activity.     

Improved surface-enhanced Raman scattering of patterned gold nanoparticles deposited on silicon nanoporous pillar arrays

Large-area silicon nanoporous pillar arrays (Si-NPA) uniformly coated with gold nanoparticles was synthesized, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering of rhodamine 6G adsorbed on these gold nanoparticles were studied and compared. It's found that Au/Si-NPA substrate has a significantly high Raman signal sensitivity and good homogeneity. These are attributed to gold nanoparticles with narrow particle-size distribution uniformly coated on the surface and to the enlarged specific surface area for adsorption of target molecules brought by the porous silicon pillars.     

Optical characterization of the polymer embedded alloyed bimetallic nanoparticles

A theoretical approach for the calculation of the bimetallic nanoparticles absorption spectra has been developed as an extension of the Mie theory in which nanoparticle dielectric function is found by the weighted linear combination of the dielectric functions for particles made of the corresponding pure metals. In the frame work of the theoretical model an expression for the resonance light absorption frequency were derived taking into account the interband transitions in the dielectric functions. We propose a simple method for the on-line monitoring of the bimetallic nanoparticles composition based on the measurement of the absorption peak position. Elaborated theoretical approach was used to investigate the polymer embedded Ag/Au nanoparticles which were prepared by reducing gold and silver salts (HAuCl4 and AgNO3, respectively) by ethylene glycol in presence of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) at room temperature. Calculated absorption spectra for the Ag/Au nanoscopic systems showed good agreement with the experimental data. Temporal evolution of the Ag/Au nanoparticles has also been investigated by this approach.     

Excimer laser ablation of gold-loaded inverse polystyrene-block-poly (2-vinylpyridine) micelles

Diblock-copolymers (PS(1700)-b-P2VP(450) or PS(1350)-b-P2VP(400)) forming spherical micelles, can be loaded with a Au-salt and deposited on top of various substrates. Such polymer films have been exposed to a pulsed ArF excimer laser in order to remove the polymer matrix and, in parallel, to chemically reduce the salt into metallic Au nanodots. To analyze this process in detail, it was subdivided into three steps: (a) laser ablation of thick and thin diblock-copolymer films; (b) laser irradiation of Au-salt loaded diblock-copolymer films; and (c) laser irradiation of arrays of metallic Au nanodots. In (a) it was found that a complete removal of the polymer by laser ablation is only possible in air under ambient conditions while identical laser irradiations under vacuum result in a residual layer of approximately 14 nm. Substep (b) revealed a nucleation process of the resulting metallic Au within the micellar core leading to clusters of small Au dots. Furthermore, this substep provided evidence for an asymmetric interplay between the macroscopic temperature of a polymer film during laser treatment and the energy density per laser pulse. In (c) it could be demonstrated that metallic Au nanodots on mica are stable against laser irradiation under conditions leading to a polymer removal. Received: 7 August 2000 / Accepted: 2 November 2000 / Published online: 3 April 2001     

Ultrasonic properties of nanoparticles-liquid suspensions

A polymer colloidal solution having dispersed nanoparticles of Cu and Au metals have been developed using a novel chemical method. Average size of the nanoparticles could be varied in the 4-10 nm range by conducting the reaction at an elevated temperature of 50-70 degrees C. Colloidal solutions of representative concentrations of 0.1-2.0 wt% Cu/Au contents in the primary solutions are used to study the modified ultrasonic attenuation and ultrasonic velocity in PVA polymer molecules on incorporating the Cu/Au particles. A characteristic behaviour of the ultrasonic velocity and the attenuation are observed at the particular temperature/particle concentration. The results demonstrate that the primary reaction during the nanoparticles-PVA colloidal formation occurs in divided groups in small micelles. The results are analyzed predicting the enhanced thermal conductivity of the samples.     

单个及阵列状金纳米环结构的LSPR光谱特性研究

In this paper, we simulate Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance（LSPR） absorption of periodic Au nano-ring arrays and single Au nanopal,ticles using the Finite Difference Time Domain （FDTD） method. We choose input plane waves of different wavelengths and discuss the relation between the absorption peak of the Au array and the variable external dielectric constants. It is found that the sensitivity of these sensors based on LSPR is improved compared to the common sensors and the enhancement is caused by the periodical structure. We also investigate the spectrum characteristic of a single Au nanoparticle and discuss the relation between the absorption peak and the size of the nanoparticle.