Dynamic Trapping and Manipulation of Self-Assembled Ag Nanoplates as Efficient Plasmonic Tweezers

Plasmonic tweezers based on periodic nanostructures have been used to manipulate particles through multiple and uniform local surface plasmon (LSP) fields. However, the coverage area of periodic nanostructures is limited, which restricts the range of trapping and manipulation. In this paper, we present a novel approach to achieve large-scale manipulation and trapping of microspheres by uniformly coupled LSP fields on a short-range disordered self-assembled Ag nanoplates (DSNP) film. The DSNP film is prepared by simple and low-cost methods─chemical growth and self-assembly technique, which overcome the challenges of preparing periodic nanostructures with a large coverage area. The uniform and coupled plasmon fields generated by this film provide enhanced electrodynamic interactions with particles, enabling the non-invasive and repeatable trapping of particles in solution. Utilizing sensitive LSPRs, dynamic manipulating particles was achieved by controlling the laser position. This large-scale platform of stable manipulation enabled by the DSNP film opens up new possibilities for the trapping and manipulation of nanoparticles in a variety of applications.