Metallic nanoparticle research is of great interest due to potential applications including photonics, nano-electronics and catalysis. Silver nanoparticles hold especial interest due to their unique optical properties. Methods to synthesize silver nanoparticles have a tendency to cause them to aggregate and oxidize, and are difficult to control due to their strong dependence on reaction parameters. However, these particles show stronger plasmonic effects when compared to other metallic nanoparticles due to increased absorption and light scattering. The focus of this project was to create a standardized and reproducible synthesis route for monodisperse amphiphilic silver nanoparticles that would self-assemble into stable clusters with controllable geometry using specific dose concentrations of 10kDa thiolated polyethylene glycol chains (PEG). Steric interactions of the nanoparticles were controlled by PEG concentration.  These silver clusters will be used in Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy to enhance Raman scattering of specific analytes.

Synthesis of self-assembling silver nanoparticles for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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