Self-organized silver nanoparticles for three-dimensional plasmonic crystals

Nano Lett. 2008 Nov;8(11):4033-8. doi: 10.1021/nl802877h. Epub 2008 Oct 18.

Abstract

Metal nanostructures that support surface plasmons are compelling as plasmonic circuit elements and as the building blocks for metamaterials. We demonstrate here the spontaneous self-assembly of shaped silver nanoparticles into three-dimensional plasmonic crystals that display a frequency-selective response in the visible wavelengths. Extensive long-range order mediated by exceptional colloid monodispersity gives rise to optical passbands that can be tuned by particle volume fraction. These metallic supercrystals present a new paradigm for the fabrication of plasmonic materials, delivering a functional, tunable, completely bottom-up optical element that can be constructed on a massively parallel scale without lithography.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Colloids
  • Crystallization
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Metal Nanoparticles / ultrastructure*
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Silver / chemistry*
  • Spectrum Analysis
  • Surface Plasmon Resonance

Substances

  • Colloids
  • Silver