Synthesis of Au(Core)/Ag(Shell) nanoparticles and their conversion to AuAg alloy nanoparticles

Optical properties of synthesized Au/Ag Nanoparticles using 532 nm and 1064 nm pulsed laser ablation: effect of solution concentration

The primary objective of this experimental research is to introduce the capacity of laser irradiation into the synthesis of bimetallic nanoparticles from noble metals. Gold and silver nanoparticles are produced through the laser ablating gold and silver targets in distilled water. Originally, the samples are synthesized by using Nd:YAG laser with 1064 nm wavelength and 7 ns pulse width. Following this, solutions mixed with different volumetric ratios, are irradiated by the second harmonic of the said laser at 532 nm wavelength. The absorption peak of gold nanoparticles around 530 nm, is used to transfer the laser energy to nanoparticles and synthesize Au/Ag bimetallic nanoparticles. The wavelength and volumetric ratio of solutions are the experiment's variables. The bimetallic nanoparticles are characterized as follows: X-ray diffraction pattern, spectroscopy in the range of UV–Vis-NIR and IR, Photoluminescence spectrum, Dynamic light scattering, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Additionally, FE-SEM and TEM images are used to study the size and morphology of nanoparticles. One of the aims of the research is to investigate the effects of laser wavelength and different volumetric concentrations on the optical properties of Au/Ag bimetallic nanoparticles. On the other hand, the study revealed that silver concentration and laser wavelength in the synthesis of Au/Ag bimetallic nanoparticles with different structures, cause the formation of crystalline structure, growth of grain size, and therefore silver oxide reduction.

Ligands as "Matchmakers": Alloying from a Physical Mixture of Metal Nanoparticle Dispersions by Digestive Ripening

Digestive ripening (DR) of a physical mixture of different metal nanoparticles (NPs) in the presence of a suitable ligand is demonstrated to be a convenient way to obtain alloy NPs. The results show that the right choice of metal-ligand combination is extremely important for efficient alloying. The results are rationalized on the basis of hard soft acid base principles, and it is concluded that better alloying ensues if DR is carried out with soft ligands when soft metals are being used and hard ligands facilitate alloying between hard metals. On the other hand, when a physical mixture of hard-soft metals is taken, ligands with intermediate character work better. The results presented here could prove to be extremely valuable and open new avenues of making interesting alloy/intermetallic systems.

Surface-Plasmon-Mediated Alloying for Monodisperse Au-Ag Alloy Nanoparticles in Liquid

Plasmonic noble-metal nanoparticles with broadly tunable optical properties and catalytically active surfaces offer a unique opportunity for photochemistry. Resonant optical excitation of surface-plasmon generates high-energy hot carriers, which can participate in photochemical reactions. Although the surface-plasmon-driven catalysis on molecules has been extensively studied, surface-plasmon-mediated synthesis of bimetallic nanomaterials is less reported. Herein, we perform a detailed investigation on the formation mechanism and colloidal stability of monodisperse Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles synthesized through irradiating the intermixture of Au nanochains and AgNO₃ solution with a nanosecond pulsed laser. It is revealed that the Ag atoms can be extracted from AgNO₃ solution by surface-plasmon-generated hot electrons and alloy with Au atoms. Particularly, the obtained Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles without any surfactants or ligands exhibit superior stability that is confirmed by experiments as well as DLVO-based theoretical simulation. Our work would provide novel insights into the synthesis of potentially useful bimetallic nanoparticles via surface-plasmon-medicated alloying.

Solid-State Reaction Synthesis of Nanoscale Materials: Strategies and Applications

Nanomaterials (NMs) with unique structures and compositions can give rise to exotic physicochemical properties and applications. Despite the advancement in solution-based methods, scalable access to a wide range of crystal phases and intricate compositions is still challenging. Solid-state reaction (SSR) syntheses have high potential owing to their flexibility toward multielemental phases under feasibly high temperatures and solvent-free conditions as well as their scalability and simplicity. Controlling the nanoscale features through SSRs demands a strategic nanospace-confinement approach due to the risk of heat-induced reshaping and sintering. Here, we describe advanced SSR strategies for NM synthesis, focusing on mechanistic insights, novel nanoscale phenomena, and underlying principles using a series of examples under different categories. After introducing the history of classical SSRs, key theories, and definitions central to the topic, we categorize various modern SSR strategies based on the surrounding solid-state media used for nanostructure growth, conversion, and migration under nanospace or dimensional confinement. This comprehensive review will advance the quest for new materials design, synthesis, and applications.

A Low-Temperature Annealing Method for Alloy Nanostructures and Metasurfaces: Unlocking a Novel Degree of Freedom

The material and exact shape of a nanostructure determine its optical response, which is especially strong for plasmonic metals. Unfortunately, only a few plasmonic metals are available, which limits the spectral range where these strong optical effects can be utilized. Alloying different plasmonic metals can overcome this limitation, at the expense of using a high-temperature alloying process, which adversely destroys the nanostructure shape. Here, a low-temperature alloying process is developed where the sample is heated at only 300 °C for 8 h followed by 30 min at 450 °C and Au-Ag nanostructures with a broad diversity of shapes, aspect ratios, and stoichiometries are fabricated. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses confirm the homogeneous alloying through the entire sample. Varying the alloy stoichiometry tunes the optical response and controls spectral features, such as Fano resonances. Binary metasurfaces that combine nanostructures with different stoichiometries are fabricated using multiple-step electron-beam lithography, and their optical function as a hologram or a Fresnel zone plate is demonstrated at the visible wavelength of λ = 532 nm. This low-temperature annealing technique provides a versatile and cost-effective way of fabricating complex Au-Ag nanostructures with arbitrary stoichiometry.

Noble Metal-Based Multimetallic Nanoparticles for Electrocatalytic Applications

Noble metal-based multimetallic nanoparticles (NMMNs) have attracted great attention for their multifunctional and synergistic effects, which offer numerous catalytic applications. Combined experimental and theoretical studies have enabled formulation of various design principles for tuning the electrocatalytic performance through controlling size, composition, morphology, and crystal structure of the nanoparticles. Despite significant advancements in the field, the chemical synthesis of NMMNs with ideal characteristics for catalysis, including high activity, stability, product-selectivity, and scalability is still challenging. This review provides an overview on structure-based classification and the general synthesis of NMMN electrocatalysts. Furthermore, postsynthetic treatments, such as the removal of surfactants to optimize the activity, and utilization of NMMNs onto suitable support for practical electrocatalytic applications are highlighted. In the end, future direction and challenges associated with the electrocatalysis of NMMNs are covered.

Construction of Lattice Strain in Bimetallic Nanostructures and Its Effectiveness in Electrochemical Applications

Bimetallic nanocrystals (NCs), associated with various surface functions such as ligand effect, ensemble effect, and strain effect, exhibit superior electrocatalytic properties. The stress-induced surface strain effect can alter binding strength between the surface active sites and reactants as well as their intermediates, and the electrochemical performance of bimetallic NCs can be significantly facilitated by the lattice-strain modification via their morphologies, sizes, shell-thickness, surface defectiveness as well as compositions. In this review, an overview of fundamental principles, characterization techniques, and quantitative determination of the surface lattice strain is provided. Various strategies and synthesis efforts on creating lattice-strain-engineered bimetallic NCs, including the de-alloying process, atomic layer-by-layer deposition, thermal treatment evolution, one-pot synthesis, and other efforts are also discussed. It is further outlined how the lattice strain effect promotes electrochemical catalysis through the selected case studies. The reactions on oxygen reduction reaction, small molecular oxidation, water splitting reaction, and electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reactions are focused. In particular, studies of lattice strain arisen from core-shell nanostructure and defectiveness are highlighted. Lastly, the potential challenges are summarized and the prospects of lattice-strain-based engineering on bimetallic nanocatalysts with suggestion and guidance of the future electrocatalyst design are envisioned.

Versatile and robust synthesis process for the fine control of the chemical composition and core-crystallinity of spherical core-shell Au@Ag nanoparticles

Au nanoparticles (NPs) characterized by distinct surface chemistry (including dodecanethiol or oleylamine as capping agent), different sizes (∼5 and ∼10 nm) and crystallinities (polycrystalline or single crystalline), were chosen as seeds to demonstrate the versatility and robustness of our two-step core-shell Au@Ag NP synthesis process. The central component of this strategy is to solubilize the shell precursor (AgNO₃) in oleylamine and to induce the growth of the shell on selected seeds under heating. The shell thickness is thus controlled by the temperature, the annealing time, the (shell precursor)/(seed) concentration ratio, seed size and crystallinity. The shell thickness is thus shown to increase with the reactant concentration and to grow faster on polycrystalline seeds. The crystalline structure and chemical composition were characterized by HRTEM, STEM-HAADF, EELS and Raman spectroscopy. The plasmonic response of Au@Ag core-shell NPs as a function of core size and shell thickness was assessed by spectrophotometry and simulated by calculations based on the discrete dipole approximation (DDA) method. Finally, the nearly monodisperse core-shell Au@Ag NPs were shown to form micrometer-scale facetted 3D fcc-ordered superlattices (SLs) after solvent evaporation and deposition on a solid substrate. These SLs are promising candidates for applications as a tunable surface-enhanced Raman scattering platform.

Atomistic description of plasmonic generation in alloys and core shell nanoparticles

Using the extended discrete interaction model we investigate the tunabilty of surface plasmon resonances in alloys and core-shell nanoparticles made from silver and gold in the small (1-15 nm) nanoscale regime where classical models based on the bulk dielectric constant may not apply. We show that the surface plasmon resonance of these alloys and core-shell particles to a large extent follow Vegard's law irrespective of the geometry of the nanoparticle. The evolution of the polarizability with size demonstrates a highly non-linear behaviour of the polarizability with the ratio of the constituents and geometry in alloys and core-shell nanoparticles, with the exception of the longitudinal surface plasmon resonance in nanorods and, partly, nanodisc alloys. We here show that the non-linear behaviour can be explained in terms of the difference in polarizability of the mixing constituents and local effects causing a quenching of the dipoles for geometries with a low aspect ratio. A thorough statistical investigation reveals that there is only a small dependence of the surface plasmon resonance on atomic arrangement and exact distribution in a nanoparticle and that the standard deviation decreases rapidly with the size of the nanoparticles. The physical ground for the random distribution algorithm for alloys in discrete interaction models is explained in detail and verified by a statistical analysis. For nanoparticles below 4 nm a sampling strategy is recommended.

An improved plasmonic Au–Ag/TiO2/rGO photocatalyst through entire visible range absorption, charge separation and high adsorption ability

Plasmonic nanohybrids for visible light absorption: the combination of small alloyed AuAg NPs, TiO₂ NPs and rGO nanosheets provides wide visible light absorption improving the photocatalytic efficiency towards water pollutant remediation.

Manipulating Bimetallic Nanostructures With Tunable Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance and Their Applications for Sensing

Metal nanocrystals with well-controlled shape and unique localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) properties have attracted tremendous attention in both fundamental studies and applications. Compared with monometallic counterparts, bimetallic nanocrystals endow scientists with more opportunities to precisely tailor their LSPR and thus achieve excellent performances for various purposes. The aim of this mini review is to present the recent process in manipulating bimetallic nanostructures with tunable LSPR and their applications for sensing. We first highlight several significant strategies in controlling the elemental ratio and spatial arrangement of bimetallic nanocrystals, followed by discussing on the relationship between their composition/morphology and LSPR properties. We then focus on the plasmonic sensors based on the LSPR peak shift, which can be well-controlled by seed-mediated growth and selective etching. This review provides insights of understanding the “rules” involving in the formation of bimetallic nanocrystals with different structures and desired LSPR properties, and also forecasts the development directions of plasmonic sensors in the future.

An in situ SAXS investigation of the formation of silver nanoparticles and bimetallic silver-gold nanoparticles in controlled wet-chemical reduction synthesis

We present a study on the formation of silver (Ag) and bimetallic silver-gold (AgAu) nanoparticles monitored by in situ SAXS as well as by ex situ TEM, XRD and UV-vis analysis in a flow reactor at controlled reaction temperature. The formation mechanism of the nanoparticles is derived from the structural parameters obtained from the experimental data. The evolution of the average particle size of pure and alloyed nanoparticles shows that the particle growth occurs initially by a coalescence mechanism. The later growth of pure silver nanoparticles is well described by Ostwald ripening and for the alloyed nanoparticles by a process with a significantly slower growth rate. Additionally, the SAXS data of pure silver nanoparticles revealed two major populations of nanoparticles, the first one with a continuous crystal growth to a saturation plateau, and the second one probably with a continuous emergence of small new crystals. The particle sizes obtained by SAXS agree well with the results from transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The present study demonstrates the capability of an in situ investigation of synthesis processes using a laboratory based SAXS instrument. Online monitoring of the synthesis permitted a detailed investigation of the structural evolution of the system.

Hierarchical growth and morphological control of ordered Cu–Au alloy arrays with high surface enhanced Raman scattering activity

Low-cost Cu–Au alloy hierarchical structures are fabricated by coelectrodeposition, and the highest SERS activity is obtained when the atom ratio of Cu and Au is about 88 : 12.

Improved CdS photocatalytic H2 evolution using Au–Ag nanoparticles with tunable plasmon-enhanced resonance energy transfer

Au–Ag hollow nanoparticles (HNPs) with tunable plasmon absorption peaks were mixed with CdS to achieve stepwise spectral overlap to enhance energy transfer and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Tailored Engineering of Bimetallic Plasmonic Au@Ag Core@Shell Nanoparticles

A distinctive synthetic method for the efficient synthesis of multifunctional bimetallic plasmonic Au@Ag core@shell nanoparticles (NPs) with tunable size, morphology, and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) using Triton X-100/hexanol-1/deionized water/cyclohexane-based water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion (ME) is described. The W/O ME acted as a "true nanoreactor" for the synthesis of Au@Ag core@shell NPs by providing a confined and controlled environment and suppressing the nucleation, growth, agglomeration, and aggregation of the NPs. High-resolution transmission electron microscopic analysis of the synthesized Au@Ag core@shell NPs revealed an "unusual core@shell" contrast, and the selected area electron diffraction and Moiré patterns showed that Au layers are paralleled to Ag layers, thus indicating the formation of Au@Ag core@shell NPs. Interestingly, the UV-visible spectrum of the Au@Ag core@shell NPs exhibited enthralling plasmonic properties by introducing a high-frequency quadrupolar LSPR mode originated from the isolated Au@Ag NPs along with a low-frequency dipolar LSPR mode originated from the coupled Au@Ag NPs. The effective plasmonic enhancement of the Au@Ag core@shell NPs is attributed to the extreme enhancement of the localized electromagnetic field by coupling of the localized surface plasmons of the Au core and Ag shell. The mechanisms for the nucleation and growth of Au@Ag core@shell NPs in W/O ME have been proposed. A unique electron transfer phenomenon between the Au core and Ag shell is elucidated for better understanding and manipulation of the electronic properties, which evinced the development of Au@Ag core@shell NPs through suppression of the galvanic replacement reaction.

Reactivity and Chemical Sintering of Carey Lea Silver Nanoparticles

Carey Lea silver hydrosol is a rare example of very concentrated colloidal solutions produced with citrate as only protective ligands, and prospective for a wide range of applications, whose properties have been insufficiently studied up to now. Herein, the reactivity of the immobilized silver nanoparticles toward oxidation, sulfidation, and sintering upon their interaction with hydrogen peroxide, sulfide ions, and chlorocomplexes of Au(III), Pd(II), and Pt(IV) was investigated using SEM and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The reactions decreased the number of carboxylic groups of the citrate-derived capping and promoted coalescence of 7 nm Ag NPs into about 40 nm ones, excluding the interaction with hydrogen peroxide. The increased nanoparticles form loose submicrometer aggregates in the case of sulfide treatment, raspberry-like micrometer porous particles in the media containing Pd(II) chloride, and densely sintered particles in the reaction with inert H₂PtCl₆ complexes, probably via the formation of surface Ag-Pt alloys. The exposure of Ag NPs to HAuCl₄ solution produced compact Ag films along with nanocrystals of Au metal and minor Ag and AgCl. The results are promising for chemical ambient temperature sintering and rendering silver-based nanomaterials, for example, for flexible electronics, catalysis, and other applications.

Unraveling Structural Information of Turkevich Synthesized Plasmonic Gold-Silver Bimetallic Nanoparticles

For the synthesis of gold-silver bimetallic nanoparticles, the Turkevich method has been the state-of-the-art method for several decades. It is presumed that this procedure results in a homogeneous alloy, although this has been debatable for many years. In this work, it is shown that neither a full alloy, nor a perfect core-shell particle is formed but rather a core-shell-like particle with altering metal composition along the radial direction. In-depth wet-chemical experiments are performed in combination with advanced transmission electron microscopy, including energy-dispersive X-ray tomography, and finite element method modeling to support the observations. From the electron tomography results, the core-shell structure can be clearly visualized and the spatial distribution of gold and silver atoms can be quantified. Theoretical simulations are performed to demonstrate that even though UV-vis spectra show only one plasmon band, this still originates from core-shell type structures. The simulations also indicate that the core-shell morphology does not so much affect the location of the plasmon band, but mainly results in significant band broadening. Wet-chemistry experiments provide the evidence that the synthesis pathway starts with gold enriched alloy cores, and later on in the synthesis mainly silver is incorporated to end up with a silver enriched alloy shell.

Alloying and Embedding of Cu-Core/Ag-Shell Nanowires for Ultrastable Stretchable and Transparent Electrodes

In this paper, transparent electrodes with dense Cu@Ag alloy nanowires embedded in the stretchable substrates are successfully fabricated by a high-intensity pulsed light (HIPL) technique within one step. The intense light energy not only induces rapid mutual dissolution between the Cu core and the Ag shell to form dense Cu@Ag alloy nanowires but also embeds the newly formed alloy nanowires into the stretchable substrates. The combination of alloy nanowires and embedded structures greatly improve the thermal stability of the transparent electrodes that maintain a high conductivity unchanged in both high temperature (140 °C) and high humidity (85 °C, 85% RH) for at least 500 h, which is much better than previous reports. The transparent electrodes also exhibit high electromechanical stability due to the strong adhesion between alloy nanowires and substrates, which remain stable after 1000 stretching-relaxation cycles at 30% strain. Stretchable and transparent heaters based on the alloyed and embedded electrodes have a wide outputting temperature range (up to 130 °C) and show excellent thermal stability and stretchability (up to 60% strain) due to the alloy nanowires and embedded structures. To sum up, this study proposes the combination of alloying and embedding structures to greatly improve the stability of Cu nanowire-based stretchable transparent electrodes, showing a huge application prospect in the field of stretchable and wearable electronics.

Digestive-Ripening-Facilitated Nanoengineering of Diverse Bimetallic Nanostructures

From an ingenious methodology for obtaining monodispersity, digestive ripening has advanced to become an outstanding solution-based synthesis route to realizing various bimetallic heterostructures. This feature article attempts to provide an overview of the various facets of the codigestive ripening process and the array of heterostructures that could be achieved by this technique. We briefly discuss the mechanism of digestive ripening in the case of monometallic elements and use that understanding to elucidate the mechanism of the less well established codigestive ripening strategy for designing bimetallic nanostructures. The systems studied by our group in the past decade for the fabrication of diverse heterostructures are highlighted in this article. The exploitation of digestive ripening to realize monodisperse bimetallic nanostructures by several other groups is also featured. In addition to digestive ripening agents, the significance of tuning various reaction parameters and its consequences on the final structure and morphology have also been discussed. Additionally, efforts based on theoretical studies to gain insight into the factors which dominate the mechanism of the digestive ripening process have also been covered. This article is a contribution to the understanding of the codigestive ripening methodology and a demonstration of its tremendous potential in achieving the desired bimetallic heteronanostructures.

Recent advances in gold nanoparticles for biomedical applications: from hybrid structures to multi-functionality

Hybrid gold nanoparticles for biomedical applications are reviewed in the context of a novel classification framework and illustrated by recent examples.

Counterion coupled (COCO) gemini surfactant capped Ag/Au alloy and core–shell nanoparticles for cancer therapy

In this work hybrid silver (Ag)–gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) with different sizes and compositions were synthesized and applied for anticancer evaluations and which is effectively involved in cancer cell apoptosis through DNA damage.

Fully Alloying AuAg Nanorods in a Photothermal Nano-Oven: Superior Plasmonic Property and Enhanced Chemical Stability

Fully alloyed metallic nanomaterials have attracted much attention because of the superior chemical and physical properties to their single components. However, it has been difficult to make fully alloyed anisotropic nanostructures due to the required high energy input. Here we present the preparation of fully alloyed AuAg nanorods by using a photothermal nano-oven, in which Au@Ag nanorods can convert absorbed light to thermal energy while the silica shell can act as both the thermal insulator and protective layer to facilitate the alloying process. The as-prepared AuAg nanorods showed enhanced plasmonic property stemming from silver and much higher chemical stability in a corrosive environment derived from gold. This method opens up a new approach for the preparation of plasmonic nanostructures with desired properties.

Nanoplasmonic Alloy of Au/Ag Nanocomposites on Paper Substrate for Biosensing Applications

Plasmonic alloy has attracted much interest in tailoring localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) for recent biosensing techniques. In particular, paper-based plasmonic substrates allow capillary-driven lateral flow as well as three-dimensional metal nanostructures, and therefore they become actively transferred to LSPR-based biosensing such as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) or metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF). However, employing plasmonic alloy nanoislands on heat-sensitive substrate is still challenging, which significantly inhibits broad-range tailoring of the plasmon resonance wavelength (PRW) for superior sensitivity. Here we report paper-based plasmonic substrate with plasmonic alloy of Au/Ag nanocomposites for highly sensitive MEF and SERS biosensing applications. The nanofabrication procedures include concurrent deposition of Au and Ag below 100 °C without any damage on cellulose fibers. The Au/Ag nanocomposites feature nanoplasmonic alloy with single plasmon peak as well as broad-range tunability of PRW by composition control. This paper-based plasmonic alloy substrate enables about twofold enhancement of fluorescence signals and selective MEF after paper chromatography. The experimental results clearly demonstrate extraordinary enhancement in SERS signals for picomolar detection of folic acid as a cancer biomarker. This new method provides huge opportunities for fabricating plasmonic alloy on heat-sensitive substrate and biosensing applications.

Fully alloyed metal nanorods with highly tunable properties

Alloyed metal nanorods offer a unique combination of enhanced plasmonic and photothermal properties with a wide variety in optical and catalytic properties as a function of the alloy composition. Here, we show that fully alloyed anisotropic nanoparticles can be obtained with complete retention of the particle shape via thermal treatment at surprisingly low temperatures. By coating Au-Ag, Au-Pd and Au-Pt core-shell nanorods with a protective mesoporous silica shell the transformation of the rods to a more stable spherical shape was successfully prevented during alloying. For the Au-Ag core-shell NRs the chemical stability was drastically increased after alloying, and from Mie-Gans and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) calculations it followed that alloyed AuAg rods also exhibit much better plasmonic properties than their spherical counterparts. Finally, the generality of our method is demonstrated by alloying Au-Pd and Au-Pt core-shell NRs, whereby the AuPd and AuPt alloyed NRs showed a surprisingly high increase in thermal stability of several hundred degrees compared with monometallic silica coated Au NRs.

Digital diffraction detection of protein markers for avian influenza

Rapid pathogen testing is expected to play a critical role in infection control and in limiting epidemics. Smartphones equipped with state-of-the-art computing and imaging technologies have emerged as new point-of-use (POU) sensing platforms. We herein report a new assay format for fast, sensitive and portable detection of avian influenza-associated antibodies.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Functionalization of Hybrid Au/CdS and Au/ZnS Core/Shell Nanoparticles

Plasmonic nanoparticles are an attractive material for light harvesting applications due to their easily modified surface, high surface area and large extinction coefficients which can be tuned across the visible spectrum. Research into the plasmonic enhancement of optical transitions has become popular, due to the possibility of altering and in some cases improving photo-absorption or emission properties of nearby chromophores such as molecular dyes or quantum dots. The electric field of the plasmon can couple with the excitation dipole of a chromophore, perturbing the electronic states involved in the transition and leading to increased absorption and emission rates. These enhancements can also be negated at close distances by energy transfer mechanism, making the spatial arrangement of the two species critical. Ultimately, enhancement of light harvesting efficiency in plasmonic solar cells could lead to thinner and, therefore, lower cost devices. The development of hybrid core/shell particles could offer a solution to this issue. The addition of a dielectric spacer between a gold nanoparticles and a chromophore is the proposed method to control the exciton plasmon coupling strength and thereby balance losses with the plasmonic gains. A detailed procedure for the coating of gold nanoparticles with CdS and ZnS semiconductor shells is presented. The nanoparticles show high uniformity with size control in both the core gold particles and shell species allowing for a more accurate investigation into the plasmonic enhancement of external chromophores.

Mechanical Chameleon through Dynamic Real-Time Plasmonic Tuning

The development of camouflage methods, often through a general resemblance to the background, has recently become a subject of intense research. However, an artificial, active camouflage that provides fast response to color change in the full-visible range for rapid background matching remains a daunting challenge. To this end, we report a method, based on the combination of bimetallic nanodot arrays and electrochemical bias, to allow for plasmonic modulation. Importantly, our approach permits real-time light manipulation readily matchable to the color setting in a given environment. We utilize this capability to fabricate a biomimetic mechanical chameleon and an active matrix display with dynamic color rendering covering almost the entire visible region.

Au1−xCux colloidal nanoparticles synthesized via a one-pot approach: understanding the temperature effect on the Au : Cu ratio

Au_1−xCu_x alloy nanoparticles synthesized by one-pot colloidal method with an accurate control of composition by the temperature and insights about the mechanism.

Fungal biomolecules assisted biosynthesis of Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles and evaluation of their catalytic property

The catalytic reduction of methylene blue was studied using biosynthesised gold-silver (Au-Ag) alloy nanoparticles (NPs). The fungal biomass of Trichoderma harzianum was used as a reducing and stabilising agent in the synthesis of Au-Ag alloy NPs. The synthesised NPs were well characterised by UV-vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The plausible synthesis mechanism involved in the formation of Au-Ag alloy NPs was also discussed with diagrammatic representation. A series of experiments was performed to investigate the catalytic activity of the as-prepared Au-Ag alloy NPs and found that the alloy NPs show excellent catalytic activity.

Comparison of 20 nm silver nanoparticles synthesized with and without a gold core: Structure, dissolution in cell culture media, and biological impact on macrophages

Widespread use of silver nanoparticles raises questions of environmental and biological impact. Many synthesis approaches are used to produce pure silver and silver-shell gold-core particles optimized for specific applications. Since both nanoparticles and silver dissolved from the particles may impact the biological response, it is important to understand the physicochemical characteristics along with the biological impact of nanoparticles produced by different processes. The authors have examined the structure, dissolution, and impact of particle exposure to macrophage cells of two 20 nm silver particles synthesized in different ways, which have different internal structures. The structures were examined by electron microscopy and dissolution measured in Rosewell Park Memorial Institute media with 10% fetal bovine serum. Cytotoxicity and oxidative stress were used to measure biological impact on RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. The particles were polycrystalline, but 20 nm particles grown on gold seed particles had smaller crystallite size with many high-energy grain boundaries and defects, and an apparent higher solubility than 20 nm pure silver particles. Greater oxidative stress and cytotoxicity were observed for 20 nm particles containing the Au core than for 20 nm pure silver particles. A simple dissolution model described the time variation of particle size and dissolved silver for particle loadings larger than 9 μg/ml for the 24-h period characteristic of many in-vitro studies.

Au-Ag core-shell nanoparticle array by block copolymer lithography for synergistic broadband plasmonic properties

Localized surface plasmon resonance of metallic nanostructures receives noticeable attention in photonics, electronics, catalysis, and so on. Core-shell nanostructures are particularly attractive due to the versatile tunability of plasmonic properties along with the independent control of core size, shell thickness, and corresponding chemical composition, but they commonly suffer from difficult synthetic procedures. We present a reliable and controllable route to a highly ordered uniform Au@Ag core-shell nanoparticle array via block copolymer lithography and subsequent seeded-shell growth. Size-tunable monodisperse Au nanodot arrays are generated by block copolymer self-assembly and are used as seed layers to grow Ag shells with variable thickness. The resultant Au@Ag core-shell nanoparticle arrays exhibit widely tunable broadband enhancement of plasmonic resonance, greatly surpassing single-element nanoparticle or homogeneous alloy nanoparticle arrays. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering of the core-shell nanoparticle arrays showed an enhancement factor greater than 270 from Au nanoparticle arrays.

Thermodynamics of nanoalloys

This article reviews recent advances in our understanding of how temperature affects the structure and the phase of multimetallic nanoparticles. Focusing on bimetallic systems, we discuss the interplay of size, shape and chemical order on the stable configurations at thermal equilibrium. Besides some considerations about experimental evidence for thermally-induced transformations, most insight is generally gained from theory and computation. The perspectives offered by mesoscopic approaches (i.e. corrected from the bulk) and atomistic simulations complement each other and often provide detailed information about the respective roles of coordination, composition and more generally surface effects to be evaluated. Order-disorder transitions and the melting phase change are strongly altered in nanoscale systems, and we describe how they possibly impact entire phase diagrams.

Nanostructure of wet-chemically prepared, polymer-stabilized silver–gold nanoalloys (6 nm) over the entire composition range

Bimetallic silver–gold nanoparticles were prepared by co-reduction using citrate and tannic acid in aqueous solution and colloidally stabilized with poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP).