Metallic nanocrystals (NCs) have tunable plasmonic properties that depend on their size, shape, composition, and local environment.  Such properties enable the use of NCs in applications that range from medical therapies to sensors.   Assembly of these metallic NCs into large-scaled materials that retain or propagate the properties of the individual NCs is of great interest. For example, bimetallic NCs can be assembled to create multifunctional plasmonic platforms such as refractive index (RI)-based sensor arrays.  Here, branched bimetallic Au-Pd NCs are synthesized and their optical properties characterized at a single particle level.  Small changes in NC features can significantly affect the plasmonic response; such effects are hidden in ensemble measurements which creates a need to thoroughly characterize the plasmonic response of these single NC �building blocks�.  Correlation of the structural features of these branched bimetallic NCs with their optical properties has been achieved via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with darkfield scattering spectroscopy. By determining the effect of individual NC features on the plasmonic response, guidelines for the rational design of new multifunctional plasmonic platforms should be achieved.

Size matters:  The effect of tip width and branch length on plasmonic properties of stellated, bimetallic nanocrystals

248th National Meeting (2014)

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