Stimuli-Responsive Tunable Circular Dichroism Using Intrinsically Chiral Plasmon-Polyaniline Hybrid Nanostructures.

Area of Science:

• Plasmonics
• Materials Science
• Optics

Background:

• Active chiral plasmonics offers dynamic light polarization control for applications like sensors and switchable polarizers.
• Creating stable, reversible chiral plasmonic substrates across broad spectral ranges presents a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct a stimuli-responsive chiral plasmon-polymer system for tunable circular dichroism.
• To demonstrate the broad applicability of chiral plasmon-polymer structures for active chiral plasmons.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a chiral plasmon-polymer system using chiral gold-silver (AuAg) nanorods and polyaniline.
• Tuning of polyaniline shell and chiral Au cores to achieve distinct geometric chirality.
• Investigation of stimuli-responsive chiroptical switching at the single-particle level.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a broad spectral range for active chiral plasmons by tuning polyaniline shells and chiral Au cores.
• Achieved stimuli-responsive chiroptical switches using the chiral plasmon-polyaniline structure.
• Showcased fine-tuning of chiroptical switching with intrinsically chiral plasmonic nanoparticles.

Conclusions:

• The developed chiral plasmon-polymer system provides a stable and reversible platform for active chiral plasmons.
• This approach enables dynamic manipulation of light polarization states for advanced chiroptical applications.
• The ability to fine-tune switching opens opportunities for novel optical devices.