Plasmonic nanoparticles are characterized by the presence of the local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). The LSPR of a nanoparticle has plasmonic field and extinction spectrum whose frequency is sensitive to the nanoparticle shape and the dielectric constant of the surrounding medium. A comparison of the sensitivity factors (SF) of different types of nanoparticles is given showing that the hollow ones are the most sensitive.1 The effect of substrate and the symmetry of the nanoparticle2 on the sensitivity factors and the figure-of-merit (FOM) is discussed. 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. The shift of the absorption and the scattering spectra can be different resulting in the broadening of the extinction peak by amounts that depends on the dielectric constant This changes the value of the figure-of-merit of the nanoparticle as a localized SPR sensor.2(1) Mahmoud, M. A.; El-Sayed, M. A. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010 , 132, 12704.(2) Mahmoud, M.; Chamanzar, M.; Adibi, A.; El-Sayed, M. A. JACS ASAP 2012 .

Plasmonic nanoparticles in sensing devices: The good and the bad

244th National Meeting (2012)

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