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Near infrared optically responsive Ag-Cu bimetallic 2D nanocrystals with controllable spatial structures
Jie Chen1, Wenhao Xu1, Xingjin Li1
1Department of Chemistry, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China.
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
|August 26, 2022
Summary
Synthesized 2D silver-copper (Ag-Cu) heterostructures offer tunable optical properties for enhanced catalytic and antibacterial applications. These novel nanostructures exhibit improved performance, especially under near-infrared light irradiation.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Surface Chemistry
Background:
- Controlling morphology of silver-copper (Ag-Cu) bimetallic nanocrystals is crucial for enhancing their optical properties and catalytic/biological activities.
- Existing Ag-Cu nanocrystals often have limited optical tunability within the ultraviolet-visible spectrum due to challenges in morphology control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and synthesize two-dimensional (2D) Ag-Cu bimetallic heterostructures with controlled morphology.
- To investigate the tunable optical properties (localized surface plasmon resonance) of these 2D heterostructures.
- To evaluate their enhanced catalytic and antibacterial activities.
Main Methods:
- Seed-mediated colloidal growth method was employed to synthesize 2D Ag-Cu bimetallic heterostructures.
- Epitaxial deposition of copper (Cu) domains onto silver (Ag) nanoplates was achieved, forming core@shell and Janus structures.
- Catalytic activity was assessed via the reduction of 4-nitrophenol.
- Antibacterial performance was evaluated with and without near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation.
Main Results:
- Synthesized 2D Ag-Cu core@shell and Janus heterostructures exhibited tunable localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) from visible to near-infrared (NIR) regions.
- The 2D Ag-Cu core@shell structure demonstrated superior synergistic catalytic performance compared to Janus structures and pure Ag plates.
- Enhanced antibacterial activity was observed, with significant improvement under NIR light irradiation, indicating synergistic effects.
Conclusions:
- 2D Ag-Cu heterostructures offer a promising platform for advanced applications due to their controlled morphology and tunable optical properties.
- These heterostructures exhibit enhanced catalytic and antibacterial functionalities, particularly when leveraging NIR light, benefiting from synergistic surface activity and optical responsiveness.
