Plasmonics Resonance Enhanced Active Photothermal Effects of Aluminum and Iron Nanoparticles

Localized Surface Plasmonics Resonance (LSPR) enhanced active photothermal effects of both aluminum nanoparticles (Al NPs) and iron nanoparticles (Fe NPs) are experimentally observed. Photothermally activated motion and ignition by low-energy xenon flash are quantitatively measured. For nanoparticles of comparable sizes, photothermally activated motion height of Fe NPs is about 60% lower than that of Al NPs, while photothermal Minimum Ignition Energy (MIE) of Fe NPs is about 50% lower than that of Al NPs. Joule heating by LSPR enhanced photothermal effects among nanoparticles and subsequently triggered oxidation reactions are found responsible for the motion and ignition of the nanoparticles.