Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 26, 2026

Synthesis of Near-Infrared Emitting Gold Nanoclusters for Biological Applications
Published on: March 22, 2020
Mechanical and Optical Properties of Nanocluster-Silica Metamaterials
Samantha Cheung1, Daniel Delghandi1, Chaolumen Wu1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
Abstract:
Nanostructured metamaterials with complex 3D geometries can be fabricated using two-photon lithography but are typically limited to specific materials by the available photoresists. Here, we develop a two-photon lithography photoresist for fabricating mechanically robust and optically active metamaterials. This photoresist consists of silver nanocluster photointiators in a polyhedral oligomeric silsequioxane (POSS) polymer matrix. Printed nanocomposites show a 216% increase in elastic modulus and 166% increase in energy absorption compared to structures made of POSS, while retaining 96% elastic recovery. Nanocomposite gyroid nanolattices reach 80% strain at failure. The nanolattice energy absorption is among the highest for lightweight nanoporous materials. Thermal annealing is used to convert the printed nanocomposites to nanoparticle-embedded glass with 54% higher energy absorption than fused silica. The annealed gyroid nanolattices contain silver nanoparticles and exhibit plasmonic activity. Right and left-handed chiral nanolattices result in different transmission spectra under linearly polarized light.
Related Concept Videos
Properties of Enantiomers and Optical Activity
Silica Gel Column Chromatography: Overview
Polar components tend to bind strongly to the silica gel, causing them to move slowly through the column. In contrast, nonpolar compounds...
Physical and Chemical Properties of Matter
Properties of Transition Metals
The Quantum-Mechanical Model of an Atom
Reaction Mechanisms
For instance, the decomposition of ozone appears to follow a mechanism with two steps:

