A scalable fabrication technique for controlling and maintaining the nanoscale orientation of gold nanorods (GNRs) with long-range macroscale order has been achieved through electrospinning.  Low aspect-ratio GNRs were dissolved in aqueous poly(ethylene oxide) solutions and electrospun to generate fibers possessing different GNR concentrations (up to 4.5 vol%) and diameters measuring between 40 and 3000 nm.  The GNRs aligned within the fibers with their long axes parallel to the fiber axis.  The average deviant angle between the GNR long axis and the fiber axis increases modestly as the fiber diameter increases.  Complementary electron diffraction measurements confirm preferred orientation of the GNR crystal planes.  Optical absorbance spectroscopy measurements reveal that the longitudinal surface plasmon resonance bands of the aligned GNRs depend on the polarization angle and that maximum extinction occurs when the polarization is parallel to the fiber axis.

Long-range alignment of gold nanorods in electrospun polymer nano/microfibers

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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