Different Methods of Increasing the Mechanical Strength of Gold Nanocages

Role of Femtosecond Pulsed Laser-Induced Atomic Redistribution in Bimetallic Au-Pd Nanorods on Optoelectronic and Catalytic Properties

Utilizing solar energy for chemical transformations has attracted a growing interest in promoting the clean and modular chemical synthesis approach and addressing the limitations of conventional thermocatalytic systems. Under light irradiation, noble metal nanoparticles, particularly those characterized by localized surface plasmon resonance, commonly known as plasmonic nanoparticles, generate a strong electromagnetic field, excited hot carriers, and photothermal heating. Plasmonic nanoparticles enabling efficient absorption of light in the visible range have moderate catalytic activities. However, the catalytic performance of a plasmonic nanoparticle can be significantly enhanced by incorporating a highly catalytically active metal domain onto its surface. In this study, we demonstrate that femtosecond laser-induced atomic redistribution of metal domains in bimetallic Au-Pd nanorods (NRs) can enhance its photocurrent response by 2-fold compared to parent Au-Pd NRs. We induce structure changes on Au-Pd NRs by irradiating them with a femtosecond pulsed laser at 808 nm to precisely redistribute Pd atoms on AuNR surfaces, resulting in modified electronic and optical properties and, thereby, enhanced catalytic activity. We also investigate the trade-off between the effect of light absorption and catalytic activity by optimizing the structure and composition of bimetallic Au-Pd nanoparticles. This work provides insight into the design of hybrid plasmonic-catalytic nanostructures with well-tailored geometry, composition, and structure for solar-fuel-based applications.

Conducting Polymer-Based Composite Materials for Therapeutic Implantations: From Advanced Drug Delivery System to Minimally Invasive Electronics

Conducting polymer-based composites have recently becoming popular in both academic research and industrial practices due to their high conductivity, ease of process, and tunable electrical properties. The multifunctional conducting polymer-based composites demonstrated great application potential for in vivo therapeutics and implantable electronics, including drug delivery, neural interfacing, and minimally invasive electronics. In this review article, the state-of-the-art conducting polymer-based composites in the mentioned biological fields are discussed and summarized. The recent progress on the synthesis, structure, properties, and application of the conducting polymer-based composites is presented, aimed at revealing the structure-property relationship and the corresponding functional applications of the conducting polymer-based composites. Furthermore, key issues and challenges regarding the implantation performance of these composites are highlighted in this paper.

Investigations on the elasticity of functional gold nanoparticles using single-molecule force spectroscopy

In this focused review we turn our attention towards several approaches for detecting the elasticity of NPs, systematically summarizing the divergent elasticity values of distinct gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with different surfaces.

Effects of single atom doping on the ultrafast electron dynamics of M1Au24(SR)18 (M = Pd, Pt) nanoclusters

Atomically precise, doped metal clusters are receiving wide research interest due to their synergistic properties dependent on the metal composition. To understand the electronic properties of doped clusters, it is highly desirable to probe the excited state behavior. Here, we report the ultrafast relaxation dynamics of doped M1@Au24(SR)18 (M = Pd, Pt; R = CH2CH2Ph) clusters using femtosecond visible and near infrared transient absorption spectroscopy. Three relaxation components are identified for both mono-doped clusters: (1) sub-picosecond relaxation within the M1Au12 core states; (2) core to shell relaxation in a few picoseconds; and (3) relaxation back to the ground state in more than one nanosecond. Despite similar relaxation pathways for the two doped nanoclusters, the coupling between the metal core and surface ligands is accelerated by over 30% in the case of the Pt dopant compared with the Pd dopant. Compared to Pd doping, the case of Pt doping leads to much more drastic changes in the steady state and transient absorption of the clusters, which indicates that the 5d orbitals of the Pt atom are more strongly mixed with Au 5d and 6s orbitals than the 4d orbitals of the Pd dopant. These results demonstrate that a single foreign atom can lead to entirely different excited state spectral features of the whole cluster compared to the parent Au25(SR)18 cluster. The detailed excited state dynamics of atomically precise Pd/Pt doped gold clusters help further understand their properties and benefit the development of energy-related applications.

Electronic and vibrational dynamics of hollow au nanocages embedded in cu2 o shells

We have synthesized hollow Au nanocages embedded within thick porous shells of cuprous oxide (Cu2 O). The shell causes a significant redshift of the localized surface plasmon resonance of Au into the near-IR. Electron-phonon coupling in the Au nanocage is 3-6 times faster in the core-shell structure due to the higher thermal conductivity of Cu2 O compared to water. Coherent phonon oscillations within the Au lattice are characterized by a breathing mode of the entire structure for both bare and core-shell nanocages, an assignment made through the use of structural mechanics simulations. The experimental frequencies are obtained through simulations by selectively applying a force to the shell of the core-shell structure. We interpret this as rapid thermal expansion of the gold leading to a mechanical force that acts on the shell.

Plasmon Resonance Hybridization of Gold Nanospheres and Palladium Nanoshells Combined in a Rattle Structure

Gold and palladium nanoparticles are characterized by their localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). In contrast with the sharp LSPR spectrum of gold nanoparticles, palladium nanoparticles had a broad LSPR spectrum. Palladium-gold nanorattles (PdAuNRT) are an ideal system with optical properties that are a hybrid of gold and palladium nanoparticles. The PdAuNRTs consisted of small gold nanospheres (AuNSs) located inside hollow palladium nanospheres (PdHNSs) of larger sizes without touching each other. PdAuNRTs of various sizes were synthesized by systematic variation of the experimental parameters. Interestingly, for the PdAuNRTs, where PdHNSs and AuNSs are separated by a distance, it was found that the broad plasmon resonance band of the PdHNSs hybridizes with the sharp plasmon resonance of the AuNSs located in its center. This was further confirmed experimentally by optical absorption measurements and theoretically using discrete dipole approximation technique. The plasmon resonance hybridization resulted in broadening of the LSPR spectrum of the PdAuNRTs and the appearance of a dip due to a Fano resonance.

Probing silver deposition on single gold nanorods by their acoustic vibrations

Acoustic vibrations of single gold nanorods coated with silver were investigated. We used single-particle pump-probe spectroscopy to monitor the silver deposition through the particle vibrations. Two vibration modes, the breathing mode and extensional mode, are observed, and the vibrational frequencies are measured as functions of the amount of silver deposited on single gold nanorods. The breathing mode frequency was found to decrease with silver deposition, while the extensional mode frequency was almost constant for silver shells up to 6 nm. The frequency changes agree with a model based on continuum mechanics and on the assumption of a uniform silver coating. The quality factors for the breathing mode and the extensional mode are hardly affected by silver deposition, indicating that the introduced interface between gold and silver contributes negligibly to the damping of the particle vibrations. Finally, we demonstrated that an atomic layer of silver can be detected using the particle acoustic vibrations.