Ultrafast Laser Plasmonic Fabrication of Nanocrystals by Molecule Modulation for Photoresponse Multifunctional Structures

Adv Mater. 2023 Jun;35(25):e2211983. doi: 10.1002/adma.202211983. Epub 2023 Apr 28.

Abstract

Nanotechnology has attracted wide research attention in constructing functional devices, including integrated circuits, transparent electrodes, and flexible actuators. Bottom-up fabrication is an important approach for functional structure manufacture, however, the controllable fabrication of complex architectures for practical applications has long been a challenge. Here, a novel strategy of laser plasmonic fabrication based on glue molecule modulation is proposed that can assemble metal nanocrystals into interconnected pattern networks. The plasmonic response of nanocrystals is adjustable with molecule modulation, which is a benefit for the effective formation of laser-induced localized oscillating electrons. The further decomposition of molecules and the movement of nanocrystal surface atoms can achieve the coalescence of assembled nanocrystals. It demonstrates that complex architectures can be controllably constructed by molecule level modulation. Through molecule-assisted laser plasmonic fabrication, the functional nanocrystals with enhanced photothermal capacity can be used for information encryption and soft machinery. This work expands the knowledge of bottom-up fabrication and provides a method for designing functional nanocrystals for a wide range of applications.

Keywords: glue molecule; multifunctional structures; plasmonic fabrication; ultrafast laser.