Plasmonic nanoparticles are used to improve the optical properties of different optical systems such as p-conjugated polymers (the polymers used in organic solar cells, optoelectronics, and sensors). The physical and optical properties of the pure nanoparticles as well as nanoparticles-p-conjugated polymers hybrid materials are studied. The optical properties of these polymers are sensitive to the conformation of their chains. The interaction of polymer chains of different length with each other and with the plasmonic nanoparticles at the nanoscale is studied.  Similar to photon confinement by the plasmonic nanoparticles, nanoparticles catalysts with hollow structure are found to have strong catalytic activity. This is due to the confinement of the rate determining species in the reaction mechanism within the cage like in a nano-reactor. This confinement of the reacting species could lead to an increase in its steady state concentration and thus the rate of the reaction.

Nanoscale confinement by nanoparticles: Photons and reactants

245th National Meeting (2013)

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