Synthesis of silver nanostructures with controlled shapes and properties
Abstract
Mastery over the shape of a nanostructure enables control over its properties and usefulness for a given application. By controlling the nucleation of seeds from which nanostructures grow, and the rate of atomic addition to seeds, I selectively produced pentagonal nanowires, cuboctahedra, nanocubes, nanobars, bipyramids, and nanobeams of silver with a solution-phase polyol synthesis. With a series of discrete dipole approximation (DDA) calculations, each of a distinctive morphology, I illustrate how shape control can tune the optical properties of silver nanostructures. Calculated predictions are validated by experimental measurements performed on silver nanobars, nanorice, right bipyramids, and nanocubes with controllable corner truncation. Control of shape is critical to optimize the sensitivity of molecular sensing platforms utilizing localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), both of which can provide detection of single molecules. Through plasmon propagation, silver nanowires can guide and focus light at the nanoscale. Lastly, I show how silver nanobeams can serve as conduits for electrons, with a current carrying capacity comparable to carbon nanotubes.
- Publication:
-
Ph.D. Thesis
- Pub Date:
- 2007
- Bibcode:
- 2007PhDT........65W