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Updated: Jul 2, 2026
08:09
A Technique to Functionalize and Self-assemble Macroscopic Nanoparticle-ligand Monolayer Films onto Template-free Substrates
Published on: May 9, 2014
11.0K
Plasmonic Polymorphs by Combining Shape Anisotropy and Soft Interactions in Bipyramid Thin Films
Jules Marcone1, Sabrina Juergensen2, Juan Barrios-Capuchino3
1Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Orsay, 91405, France.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|May 30, 2025
Summary
Controlling ligand softness in gold nanobipyramid supercrystals tunes their structure and optical properties. This enables tailored plasmonic responses for advanced applications like spectroscopy and metamaterials.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Optics
Background:
- Plasmonic supercrystals composed of gold nanobipyramids (AuBP) display complex packing structures.
- These structures significantly impact electric field distribution and optical responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how ligand molecular weight influences the self-assembly and resulting superstructures of AuBP.
- To correlate structural characteristics with plasmonic properties and optical responses.
Main Methods:
- Varying molecular weight of coating ligands to alter building block softness.
- Structural characterization using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM).
- Optical and near-field characterization via micro-absorbance and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS).
Main Results:
- Softer coatings resulted in smaller aligned domains in monolayers.
- Bilayers showed more crystalline domains with specific interlayer twist angles (0° and 90°).
- Identified longitudinal and transverse plasmonic modes; observed strong polarization-dependent optical response in large bilayer domains.
Conclusions:
- Ligand softness is a critical factor in controlling AuBP supercrystal assembly and properties.
- Demonstrated tunability of plasmonic modes and optical responses through structural control.
- Highlighted potential for applications in enhanced spectroscopies, plasmonic photocatalysis, and optical metamaterials.
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