The Influence of Particle Size Distribution and Shell Imperfections on the Plasmon Resonance of Au and Ag Nanoshells

The Influence of Particle Size Distribution and Shell Imperfections on the Plasmon Resonance of Au and Ag Nanoshells

Mann, Daniel (DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials)
Nascimento Duplat, D. (TU Delft ImPhys/Optics)
Keul, Helmut (DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials)
Möller, Martin (DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials)
Verheijen, Marcel (Eindhoven University of Technology; Philips Innovation Labs)
Xu, M. (TU Delft ImPhys/Optics; TNO)
Urbach, Paul (TU Delft ImPhys/Optics)
Adam, A.J.L. (TU Delft ImPhys/Optics)
Buskens, Pascal (DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials; TNO)

2016

Au and Ag nanoshells are of interest for a wide range of applications. The plasmon resonance of such nanoshells is the property of interest and can be tuned in a broad spectral regime, ranging from the ultraviolet to the mid-infrared. To date, a large number of manuscripts have been published on the optics of such nanoshells. Few of these, however, address the effect of particle size distribution and metal shell imperfections on the plasmon resonance. Both are inherent to the chemical synthesis of metal nanoshells and therefore to a large extent unavoidable. It is of vital importance to understand their effect on the plasmon resonance, since this determines the scope and limitations of the technology and may have a direct impact on the application of such particles. Here, we elucidate the effect of particle size distribution and imperfections in the metal shell on the plasmon resonance of Au and Ag nanoshells. The size of the polystyrene core and the thickness of the Au and Ag shells are systematically varied to study their influence on the plasmon resonance, and the results are compared to values obtained through optical simulations using extended Mie theory and finite element method. Discrepancies between theory and practice are studied in detail and discussed extensively. Quantitative information on the minimum thickness of the metal shell, which is required to realize a satisfactory plasmon resonance of a metal nanoshell, is provided for Au and Ag.

Core-shell nanoparticle
Finite element method
Mie theory
Optical simulation
Plating

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:0deaf703-ff1b-46d6-b175-4411393365bc

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11468-016-0345-8

1557-1955

Plasmonics, 1-17

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2016 Daniel Mann, D. Nascimento Duplat, Helmut Keul, Martin Möller, Marcel Verheijen, M. Xu, Paul Urbach, A.J.L. Adam, Pascal Buskens