Determination of size and concentration of gold nanoparticles from extinction spectra

Extinction spectra of colloidal gold can be used for a simple and fast determination of the size and concentration of nanoparticles. It is generally accepted that experimental correlations of the particle size and concentration with the plasmon resonance properties are in agreement with Mie theory simulations. Here, we discuss this point in the context of a long-term collection of published experimental data and our T-matrix simulations, which account for deviations of the particle size from ideal monodisperse spheres. These deviations result in small but quite evident disagreements between the Mie calculations and the experimental calibration curves "particle size vs resonance wavelength". We present a long-term-averaged analytical particle-size calibration and also discuss the effects of the particle dielectric functions, shape and size polydispersity on simulated correlations between the extinction spectra and the average particle size, and concentration.