Growth of nanobipyramid by using large sized Au decahedra as seeds

Bipyramidal Nanocrystals of Noble Metals: From Synthesis to Applications

Shape control has been a major theme of nanocrystal research in terms of synthesis, property tailoring, and optimization of performance in a variety of applications. Among the possible shapes, bipyramids are unique owing to their symmetry, planar defects, and exposed facets. In this article, we focus on the colloidal synthesis of noble-metal nanocrystals featuring a triangular bipyramidal shape, together with highlights of their properties and applications. We start with a brief discussion of the general classification and requirements for the nucleation and growth of bipyramidal nanocrystals, followed by specific aspects regarding the synthetic methods with a focus on the roles of reduction, etching, and capping, as well as controls of facet, size, aspect ratio, and corner truncation. In the end, we illustrate how these aspects affect the properties of bipyramidal nanocrystals for plasmonic and catalytic applications, together with future perspectives.

A portable intelligent hydrogel platform for multicolor visual detection of HAase

Hyaluronidase (HAase) is an important endoglycosidase involved in numerous physiological and pathological processes, such as apoptosis, senescence, and cancer progression. Simple, convenient, and sensitive detection of HAase is important for clinical diagnosis. Herein, an easy-to-operate multicolor visual sensing strategy was developed for HAase determination. The proposed sensor was composed of an enzyme-responsive hydrogel and a nanochromogenic system (gold nanobipyramids (AuNBPs)). The enzyme-responsive hydrogel, formed by polyethyleneimine-hyaluronic acid (PEI-HA), was specifically hydrolyzed with HAase, leading to the release of platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs). Subsequently, PtNPs catalyzed the mixed system of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and H2O2 to produce TMB2+ under acidic conditions. Then, TMB2+ effectively etched the AuNBPs and resulted in morphological changes in the AuNBPs, accompanied by a blueshift in the localized surface plasmon resonance peak and vibrant colors. Therefore, HAase can be semiquantitatively determined by directly observing the color change of AuNBPs with the naked eye. On the basis of this, the method has a linear detection range of HAase concentrations between 0.6 and 40 U/mL, with a detection limit of 0.3 U/mL. In addition, our designed multicolor biosensor successfully detected the concentration of HAase in human serum samples. The results showed no obvious difference between this method and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, indicating the good accuracy and usability of the suggested method.

Seed-Mediated Synthesis of Thin Gold Nanoplates with Tunable Edge Lengths and Optical Properties

Thin Au nanoplates show intriguing localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) properties with potential applications in various fields. The conventional synthesis of Au nanoplates usually involves the formation of spherical nanoparticles or produces nanoplates with large thicknesses. Herein, we demonstrate a synthesis of uniform thin Au nanoplates by using Au-Ag alloy nanoframes obtained by the galvanic replacement of Ag nanoplates with HAuCl₄ as the seeds and a sulfite (SO₃^2-) as a ligand. The SO₃^2- ligand not only complexes with the Au salt for the controlled reduction kinetics but also strongly adsorbs on Au {111} facets for effectively constraining the crystal growth on both basal sides of the Au nanoplates for controlled shape and reduced thicknesses. This seed-mediated synthesis affords Au nanoplates with a thickness of only 7.5 nm, although the thickness increases with the edge length. The edge length can be customizable in a range of 48-167 nm, leading to tunable LSPR bands in the range of 600-1000 nm. These thin Au nanoplates are applicable not only to surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy with enhanced sensitivity and reliability but also to a broader range of LSPR-based applications.

Gold Nanostar Characterization by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis

We demonstrate the application of nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) for the quantitative characterization of gold nanostars (GNSs). GNSs were synthesized by the seed-mediated growth method using triblock copolymer (TBP) gold nanoparticles (GNPs). These GNPs (≈ 10 nm) were synthesized from Au³⁺ (≈ 1 mM) in aqueous F127 (w/v 5%) containing the co-reductant ascorbic acid (≈ 2 mM). The GNS tip-to-core aspect ratio (AR) decreased when higher concentrations of GNPs were added to the growth solution. The AR dependency of GNSs on Au³⁺/Au(seed) concentration ratio implies that growth is partly under kinetic control. NTA measured GNS sizes, concentrations, and relative scattering intensities. Molar absorption coefficients ∼ 10⁹-10¹⁰ M^-1 cm^-1 (ε_400 nm) for each batch of GNSs were determined using the combination of extinction spectra and NTA concentrations for heterogeneous samples. NTA in combination with UV-vis was used to derive the linear relationships: (1) hydrodynamic size versus localized surface plasmon peak maxima; (2) ε_400 nm versus localized surface plasmon peak maxima; (3) ε_400 nm versus hydrodynamic size. NTA for quantitative characterization of anisotropic nanoparticles could lead to future applications, including heterogeneous colloidal catalysis.

Optimized plasmonic performances and derivate applications of Au nanobipyramids

Gold nanobipyramids (AuBPs) with narrow size distribution and high monodispersity have driven intensive attention because they display more advantageous plasmonic properties than gold nanorods (AuNRs). Applications of AuBPs based on tunable plasmonic properties and enhanced electromagnetic fields are being widely investigated in recent years. In this article, we focused on the preparation of well-defined AuBPs using the seed-mediated method, the plasmonic properties, and the exploration of AuBP-supported derivatives. The synergetic contributions of penta-twinned and appropriate growth environment could produce high-purity AuBPs. Systematic comparisons of plasmonic properties between AuBPs and AuNRs are illustrated. In addition, the well-defined AuBPs can be used as a template to synthesize multi-metallic nanostructures. The development of the epitaxial growth based on the AuBPs and corresponding applications are introduced. This study will provide a guide for the fabrication of composite nanostructures and advance their plasmonic applications.

Next-generation engineered nanogold for multimodal cancer therapy and imaging: a clinical perspectives

Cancer is one of the significant threats to human life. Although various latest technologies are currently available to treat cancer, it still accounts for millions of death each year worldwide. Thus, creating a need for more developed and novel technologies to combat this deadly condition. Nanoparticles-based cancer therapeutics have offered a promising approach to treat cancer effectively while minimizing adverse events. Among various nanoparticles, nanogold (AuNPs) are biocompatible and have proved their efficiency in treating cancer because they can reach tumors via enhanced permeability and retention effect. The size and shape of the AuNPs are responsible for their diverse therapeutic behavior. Thus, to modulate their therapeutic values, the AuNPs can be synthesized in various shapes, such as spheres, cages, flowers, shells, prisms, rods, clusters, etc. Also, attaching AuNPs with single or multiple targeting agents can facilitate the active targeting of AuNPs to the tumor tissue. The AuNPs have been much explored for photothermal therapy (PTT) to treat cancer. In addition to PTT, AuNPs-based nanoplatforms have been investigated for combinational multimodal therapies in the last few years, including photodynamic therapy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, etc., to ablate cancer cells. Thus, the present review focuses on the recent advancements in the functionalization of AuNPs-based nanoconstructs for cancer imaging and therapy using combinatorial multimodal approaches to treat various cancers.

A universal route with fine kinetic control to a family of penta-twinned gold nanocrystals

Some of the major difficulties hindering the synthesis of different types of colloidal nanocrystals are their complex synthetic methods and the lack of a universal growth mechanism in one system. Herein, we propose a general strategy of kinetically controlled seed-mediated growth to synthesize a family of penta-twinned gold nanocrystals. Specifically, different kinds of penta-twinned nanocrystals (truncated penta-twinned decahedra, truncated bipyramids, bipyramids, truncated bipyramids with tips, star-like penta-twinned nanocrystals, decahedra with concave edges, and decahedra) with tunable sizes and high purity were readily achieved in one system solely by tailoring the deposition kinetics of adatoms on different sites of decahedral seeds. The controllable deposition kinetics can be realized by changing the ratio of reductant/gold precursors (R), which dictates whether horizontal or vertical features along the 5-fold axis direction of Au decahedral seeds are produced. Additionally, the selective growth of a second metal (silver) on penta-twinned gold seeds can be reached through minor modification of R, which opens a new avenue for mechanistic investigation by visualizing the seed localization within the final particles. The present work demonstrates a general paradigm for the kinetic growth of penta-twinned crystals and would be extended to the synthesis of other families of nanocrystals.

We report the synthesis of linear ADPr oligomers of defined length up to a pentamer using an improved solid phase method. Binding study with human oncogenic helicase ALC1 shows that ADPr oligomers bind to ALC1 in a length-dependent manner.

Surface lattice engineering for fine-tuned spatial configuration of nanocrystals

Hybrid nanocrystals combining different properties together are important multifunctional materials that underpin further development in catalysis, energy storage, et al., and they are often constructed using heterogeneous seeded growth. Their spatial configuration (shape, composition, and dimension) is primarily determined by the heterogeneous deposition process which depends on the lattice mismatch between deposited material and seed. Precise control of nanocrystals spatial configuration is crucial to applications, but suffers from the limited tunability of lattice mismatch. Here, we demonstrate that surface lattice engineering can be used to break this bottleneck. Surface lattices of various Au nanocrystal seeds are fine-tuned using this strategy regardless of their shape, size, and crystalline structure, creating adjustable lattice mismatch for subsequent growth of other metals; hence, diverse hybrid nanocrystals with fine-tuned spatial configuration can be synthesized. This study may pave a general approach for rationally designing and constructing target nanocrystals including metal, semiconductor, and oxide.

On the origin of controlled anisotropic growth of monodisperse gold nanobipyramids

We elucidate the crucial role of the cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant in the anisotropic growth mechanism of gold nano-bipyramids, nano-objects with remarkable optical properties and high tunability. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations predict different surface coverages of the CTAB (positively charged) heads and their (bromide) counterions as function of the gold exposed surfaces. High concentration of CTAB surfactant promotes formation of gold nanograins in solution that work as precursors for the smooth anisotropic growth of more elongated nano-bipyramidal objects. Nanobipyramids feature higher index facets with respect to nanorods, allowing higher CTAB coverages that stabilize their formation and leading to narrower inter-micelles channels that smooth down their anisotropic growth. Absorption spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy confirmed the formation of nanograins and demonstrated the importance of surfactant concentration on driving the growth towards nano-bipyramids rather than nanorods. The outcome explains the formation of the monodisperse bipyramidal nano-objects, the origin of their controlled shapes and sizes along with their remarkable stability.

AuNanostar@4-MBA@Au Core-Shell Nanostructure Coupled with Exonuclease III-Assisted Cycling Amplification for Ultrasensitive SERS Detection of Ochratoxin A

The "turn-on" mode surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) aptasensor for ultrasensitive ochratoxin A (OTA) detection was developed based on the SERS "hot spots" of AuNanostar@4-MBA@Au core-shell nanostructures (AuNS@4-MBA@Au) and exonuclease III (Exo III)-assisted target cycle amplification strategy. Compared with conventional gold nanoparticles, AuNS@4-MBA@Au provides a much higher SERS enhancement factor because AuNS exhibits a larger surface roughness and the lightning rod effect, as well as an excellent electromagnetic field between the AuNS core and the Au shell, which contribute to the superstrong SERS signal. Meanwhile, Exo III-assisted target cycle amplification can be used as an effective method for the further amplified detection of OTA. Additionally, the utilization of streptavidin magnesphere paramagnetic particles offers a green, economical, and facile technology for the accumulation and separation of the signal probe AuNS@4-MBA@Au from solution. All these factors lead to a significant enhancement of detectable signals and superhigh sensitivity. As a result, the limit of detection as low as 0.25 fg mL^-1 could be achieved, which was lower than that in the other reported literatures on SERS methods for OTA detection as we know. The developed SERS aptasensor also provides a promising tool for foodstuff detection.

Unraveling the Spatial Distribution of Catalytic Non-Cubic Au Phases in a Bipyramidal Microcrystallite by X-ray Diffraction Microscopy

Tuning of crystal structures and shapes of submicrometer-sized noble metals have revealed fascinating catalytic, optical, electrical, and magnetic properties that enable developments of environmentally friendly and durable nanotechnological applications. Several attempts have been made to stabilize Au, knowing its extraordinary stability in its conventional face-centered cubic (fcc) lattice, into different lattices, particularly to develop Au-based catalysis for industry. Here, we report the results from scanning X-ray diffraction microscopy (SXDM) measurements on an ambient-stable penta-twinned bipyramidal Au microcrystallite (about 1.36 μm in length and 230 nm in diameter) stabilized in noncubic lattice, exhibiting catalytic properties. With more than 82% of the crystal volume, the majority crystallite structure is identified as body-centered orthorhombic (bco), while the remainder is the standard fcc. A careful analysis of the diffraction maps reveals that the tips are made up of fcc, while the body contains mainly bco with very high strain. The reported structural imaging technique of representative single crystallite will be useful to investigate the growth mechanism of similar multiphase nano- and micrometer-sized crystals.

Pre- and post-irradiation mild hyperthermia enabled by NIR-II for sensitizing radiotherapy

The clinical application of cancer radiotherapy is critically impeded by hypoxia-induced radioresistance, insufficient DNA damage, and multiple DNA repair mechanisms. Herein we demonstrate a dual-hyperthermia strategy to potentiate radiotherapy by relieving tumor hypoxia and preventing irradiation-induced DNA damage repair. The tumor hyperthermia temperature was well-controlled by a near infrared laser with minimal side effects using PEGylated nanobipyramids (PNBys) as the photo-transducer. PNBys have narrow longitudinal localized surface plasmon resonance peak in NIR-II window with a high extinction coefficient (2.0 × 10¹¹ M^-1 cm^-1) and an excellent photothermal conversion efficiency (44.2%). PNBys-induced mild hyperthermia (MHt) prior to radiotherapy enables vessel dilation, blood perfusion, and hypoxia relief, resulting in an increased susceptibility of tumor cells response to radiotherapy. On the other hand, MHt after radiotherapy inhibits the repair of DNA damage generated by irradiation. The PNBys exert hierarchically superior antitumor effects by the combination of MHt pre- and post-radiotherapy in murine mammary tumor EMT-6 model. Consequently, different from the simple combination of RT and MHt, the coupling of pre- and post-MHt with RT by PNBys open intriguing avenues towards new promising antitumor efficacy.

Gold-Nanobipyramid-Based Nanotheranostics for Dual-Modality Imaging-Guided Phototherapy

Multimodality imaging-guided therapy can improve the diagnostics and therapeutics efficiency of cancer. Herein, we developed a light-responsive nanotheranostic agent based on the indocyanine green (ICG) conjugated mesoporous silica coated gold nanobipyramid (GNB@SiO₂) (denoted as GNB@SiO₂-ICG) for simultaneous fluorescence (FL)/photoacoustic (PA) imaging-guided photothermal therapy (PTT). The GNB@SiO₂ with excellent photostability was used for PA imaging as well as PTT. The loaded ICG promised FL imaging and PTT. The feasibility of the cancer theranostic capability of GNB@SiO₂-ICG was evaluated from cancer cells to mice. Under the guidance of FL/PA imaging, GNB@SiO₂-ICG exhibited remarkably enhanced therapeutic efficacy, which could eliminate the tumor tissues completely without tumor recurrence. This well-defined nanotheranostic nanoplatform that intelligently integrates dual-modality imaging and phototherapy provides an efficient nanoplatform for cancer nanotheranostics.

Colorimetric and visual detection of cyanide ions based on the morphological transformation of gold nanobipyramids into gold nanoparticles

In this study, we developed a facile, rapid, selective and sensitive colorimetric method for the detection of cyanide ions (CN⁻) by using gold nanobipyramids (Au NBPs).

Beyond the Concentration Limitation in the Synthesis of Nanobipyramids and Other Pentatwinned Gold Nanostructures

Gold nanoparticles offer unique optoelectronic properties relevant for a wide range of processes and products, in biology and medicine (therapeutic agents, diagnostic, drug delivery), as well as in electronics, photovoltaics, and catalysis. So far, various synthesis methods proposed have led to rather limited concentration and purity of the colloidal suspensions, severely hindering their use. Here, we present a simple and versatile procedure for the synthesis of gold pentatwinned nanostructures, including nanobipyramids based on a seed-mediated growth process that overcomes the concentration limitations of current methods by 2 orders of magnitude. Moreover, our novel process offers quantitative yields while easily allowing a fine control of the particles' shape, size (with a high monodispersity), and plasmonic properties. Finally, we demonstrate that our method can be easily upscaled to produce large amounts of nanostructures, up to the gram scale, with minimal waste and postprocessing, thus facilitating their use for further applications and industrial developments.

Anisotropic nanomaterials for shape-dependent physicochemical and biomedical applications

This review contributes towards a systematic understanding of the mechanism of shape-dependent effects on nanoparticles (NPs) for elaborating and predicting their properties and applications based on the past two decades of research. Recently, the significance of shape-dependent physical chemistry and biomedicine has drawn ever increasing attention. While there has been a great deal of effort to utilize NPs with different morphologies in these fields, so far research studies are largely localized in particular materials, synthetic methods, or biomedical applications, and have ignored the interactional and interdependent relationships of these areas. This review is a comprehensive description of the NP shapes from theory, synthesis, property to application. We figure out the roles that shape plays in the properties of different kinds of nanomaterials together with physicochemical and biomedical applications. Through systematic elaboration of these shape-dependent impacts, better utilization of nanomaterials with diverse morphologies would be realized and definite strategies would be expected for breakthroughs in these fields. In addition, we have proposed some critical challenges and open problems that need to be addressed in nanotechnology.

Gold Nanobipyramids: An Emerging and Versatile Type of Plasmonic Nanoparticles

Gold nanobipyramids (Au NBPs) and gold nanorods (Au NRs) are two types of elongated plasmonic nanoparticles with their longitudinal dipolar plasmon wavelengths synthetically tunable from the visible region to the near-infrared region. Both have highly polarization-dependent absorption and scattering cross sections because of their anisotropic geometries. In terms of their differences, each Au NBP has five equally angularly separated twinning planes that are aligned parallel to the length direction, while the most common Au NRs are single-crystalline. As a result, Au NBPs possess two sharp end tips, while Au NRs have rounded or flat ends, resulting in very different plasmonic properties. In general, Au NBPs exhibit larger local electric field enhancements, larger optical cross sections, narrower line widths, better shape and size uniformity, and higher refractive index sensitivity than Au NRs. With the recent development of reliable methods for the growth of Au NBPs with high purity and uniformity, Au NBPs have been attracting much interest for the investigation of their intriguing plasmonic properties and applications. In this Account, we provide a concise introduction to Au NBPs, including their fascinating plasmonic properties, wet-chemistry growth methods, plasmonic applications, and structure-directing function. The synthesis of uniform Au NBPs with variable sizes is of vital importance to control their plasmonic properties. In the synthesis part, we summarize the recent developments on the synthesis of Au NBPs, with a focus on the role of seeds in the seed-mediated growth of pentatwinned Au NBPs and methods to improve their number purity. The excellent plasmonic properties of Au NBPs make them promising candidates for numerous applications. To further explore the largely improved functionalities of Au NBPs, different types of Au-NBP-based hybrid nanostructures have been prepared. They exhibit synergistic interactions between Au NBPs and the other components. We highlight the widespread plasmonic applications of Au NBPs and Au-NBP-based hybrid nanostructures in the fields of spectroscopy, photocatalysis, sensing, switching, and biomedical technologies. We next turn to the structure-directing function of Au NBPs to demonstrate the Au-NBP-directed growth of metal nanostructures and their applications. The structure-directing function is enabled by the unique pentatwinned crystalline structure of Au NBPs. Finally, we conclude with remarks on the future perspectives and research directions on Au NBPs as well as the remaining challenges. We hope that this Account will act as a platform to offer fascinating opportunities and stimulate fast-growing research on the various aspects of Au NBPs.

AlPcS-loaded gold nanobipyramids with high two-photon efficiency for photodynamic therapy in vivo

Recent years have witnessed significant progress in the field of two-photon-activated photodynamic therapy (TP-PDT). However, traditional photosensitizer (PS)-based TP-PDT remains a critical challenge in clinics due to its low two-photon absorption cross sections. Here, we propose that the therapeutic activity of the current photosensitizer, sulfonated Al-phthalocyanine (AlPcS), can be efficiently excited via plasmonic-resonance energy transfer from the two-photon excited gold nanobipyramids (GBPs) and further generates cytotoxic singlet oxygen for cancer eradication. GBPs possess large two-photon absorption cross sections, excellent photostability, and biocompatibility, which can be used for a high two-photon light-harvesting material in biomedical applications. We compared the in vitro and in vivo capabilities of AlPcS-loaded GBPs as a TP-PDT agent for theranostic applications by benchmarking them against those of the extensively studied gold nanospheres (GNS) and nanorods (GNR). Although all these Au nanostructures could cause enhanced PS two-photon excitation fluorescence and improved singlet oxygen generation capability via the plasmonic resonance-energy transfer process, GBP-AlPcS exhibited the highest two-photon efficiency for photodynamic therapy. Remarkably, in vivo experiment results clearly indicated that the GBP-AlPcS caused efficient suppression of tumor growth and minimal adverse effects on orthotopic A549 human lung tumor xenografts. The system presents great efficiency in improving the treatment depth and precision of traditional photodynamic therapy.

NIR-Active Plasmonic Gold Nanocapsules Synthesized Using Thermally Induced Seed Twinning for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Applications

Hollow and porous core-shell nanostructures with defined interior nanogaps are of great significance in the field of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) applications because of the presence of intrinsic electromagnetic (EM) hot spots, multipolar resonances, and multiple facets. Further, nanomaterials having extinction in the near-infrared (NIR) region are particularly important for SERS and biomedical applications, and thus it is highly desirable to synthesize NIR-active plasmonic nanostructures. Herein, we report the synthesis of gold nanocapsules having a solid Au bead as core and a thin-porous rod-shaped shell with extinction in both NIR I and NIR II regions. Thermally induced twinned seeds were used for the silver-free synthesis of pentatwinned Au bead, which served as the foundation for the directed growth of Ag nanorods, which was finally converted to Au nanocapsules following galvanic replacement reaction (GRR). Detailed investigation was carried out to understand the effect of thermal treatment duration in the seed morphology and its subsequent growth to anisotropic Au beads. Ag overgrowth on Au beads yielded uniform Au-bead@Ag nanorods whose size can be tuned by varying the Ag precursor. Five different sized Au-bead@Ag nanorods were studied, and they were converted to Au nanocapsules following GRR. We explored the size-dependent SERS activity of the prepared Au nanocapsules along with their comparison with solid pentatwinned Au beads and found that the smallest sized Au nanocapsules were the best SERS performers. Finite-difference time-domain simulation revealed the presence of intense EM hot spots in the smallest sized Au nanocapsule and corroborated the experimental SERS data. Finally, we fabricated a simple flexible cellulose-based SERS substrate by using the smallest sized Au nanocapsules and investigated its SERS sensing ability for the detection of 2-napthalenethiol (2-NT), as a model analyte, and were able to achieve its detection down to 1 fM concentration.

Size-dependent longitudinal plasmon resonance wavelength and extraordinary scattering properties of Au nanobipyramids

Au nanobipyramids (NBPs) with sharp tips and narrow plasmon linewidths are ideal candidates for plasmonic applications. In this paper, we investigated the influencing factors of longitudinal plasmon resonance wavelength (LPRW) and scattering properties of single Au NBP by simulation. Compared with the volume, we establish the aspect ratio (length/width) as the dominant factor that affects the LPRW of Au NBPs. Plasmonic nanoparticles have been widely used for light-trapping enhancement in photovoltaics. To give a profound understanding of the superior light harvesting properties of Au NBPs, the near-field localization effect and far-field scattering mechanism of Au NBPs were investigated. Under the light injection at LPRW, the tip area shows near-field enhancement and the maximum scattering intensity appears on the side area of the waist owing to the remarkable optical absorption near the tips. Additionally, we confirm the fraction of light scattered into the substrate and angular distribution of the light scattered by the Au NBPs. The fraction of light scattered into the substrate reaches up to 97% from 400-1100 nm and preserves a broadband spectrum. This suggests that the NBP has a predominant forward scattering and reduced backward scattering. The excellent plasmonic scattering properties of Au NBPs are promising in photovoltaic devices and photothermal therapy.

Growth morphology and special diffraction characteristics of multifaceted gold nanoparticles

This paper deals with morphology of synthesized nano gold particles through seed based growth. Various types of morphologies have been observed. They primarily relate to decahedral and truncated tetrahedral shapes. Their relative abundance is dependent on temporal evolution of nanoparticles. These shapes are understood to have evolved from a seed having symmetry that is a supergroup of the point groups possessed by these nanoparticles. The usual pentagonal twinned morphologies observed under High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy have displayed two distinct types of interfaces. They have been attributed to cubic and icosahedral three-fold orientations. Such a discussion is lacking in literature. The five triangular faces of decahedral particles are essentially rotational twins resulting out of a common five-fold axis. Two special diffraction features for truncated tetrahedral particles have been observed. They refer to (i) triangular streaks around Braggs spots conforming to three fold symmetry of these particles and (ii) by observation of forbidden reflections of the type 1/3{422} and 2/3{422} along 〈422〉 directions. Latter has been understood in terms of intrinsic fault whereas former arises owing to shape transform of nanoparticles. The presence of faults has helped rationalize decrease of lattice parameter vis-à-vis that of standard FCC gold. The variation of intensities of these forbidden reflections seems to be arising out of density of such intrinsic faults in nano gold particles in addition to dynamical effects.

Rational selection of halide ions for synthesizing highly active Au@Pd nanobipyramids

Highly active Au@Pd nanobipyramids were synthesized using Br⁻ ions as an appropriate growth modifier.

Seed-Mediated Growth of Colloidal Metal Nanocrystals

Seed-mediated growth is a powerful and versatile approach for the synthesis of colloidal metal nanocrystals. The vast allure of this approach mainly stems from the staggering degree of control one can achieve over the size, shape, composition, and structure of nanocrystals. These parameters not only control the properties of nanocrystals but also determine their relevance to, and performance in, various applications. The ingenuity and artistry inherent to seed-mediated growth offer extensive promise, enhancing a number of existing applications and opening the door to new developments. This Review demonstrates how the diversity of metal nanocrystals can be expanded with endless opportunities by using seeds with well-defined and controllable internal structures in conjunction with a proper combination of capping agent and reduction kinetics. New capabilities and future directions are also highlighted.

Facile Growth of High-Yield Gold Nanobipyramids Induced by Chloroplatinic Acid for High Refractive Index Sensing Properties

Au nanobipyramids (NBPs) have attracted great attention because of their unique localized surface plasmon resonance properties. However, the current growth methods always have low yield or suffer tedious process. Developing new ways to direct synthesis of high-yield Au NBPs using common agents is therefore desirable. Here, we employed chloroplatinic acid as the key shape-directing agent for the first time to grow Au NBPs using a modified seed-mediated method at room temperature. H₂PtCl₆ was added both during the seed preparation and in growth solution. Metallic Pt, reduced from chloroplatinic acid, will deposit on the surface of the seed nanoparticles and the Au nanocrystals and thus plays a critical role for the formation of Au NBPs. Additionally, the reductant, precursor, and surfactant are all cheap and commonly used. Furthermore, the Au NBPs offer narrow size distribution, two sharp tips, and a shared basis. Au NBPs therefore show much higher refractive index sensitivities than that of the Au nanorods. The refractive index sensitivities and lager figure of merit values of Au NBPs exhibit an increase of 63% and 321% respectively compared to the corresponding values of Au nanorod sample.

Two-Dimensional Bipyramid Plasmonic Nanoparticle Liquid Crystalline Superstructure with Four Distinct Orientational Packing Orders

Anisotropic plasmonic nanoparticles have been successfully used as constituent elements for growing ordered nanoparticle arrays. However, orientational control over their spatial ordering remains challenging. Here, we report on a self-assembled two-dimensional (2D) nanoparticle liquid crystalline superstructure (NLCS) from bipyramid gold nanoparticles (BNPs), which showed four distinct orientational packing orders, corresponding to horizontal alignment (H-NLCS), circular arrangement (C-NLCS), slanted alignment (S-NLCS), and vertical alignment (V-NLCS) of constituent particle building elements. These packing orders are characteristic of the unique shape of BNPs because all four packing modes were observed for particles with various sizes. Nevertheless, only H-NLCS and V-NLCS packing orders were observed for the free-standing ordered array nanosheets formed from a drying-mediated self-assembly at the air/water interface of a sessile droplet. This is due to strong surface tension and the absence of particle-substrate interaction. In addition, we found the collective plasmonic coupling properties mainly depend on the packing type, and characteristic coupling peak locations depend on particle sizes. Interestingly, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) enhancements were heavily dependent on the orientational packing ordering. In particular, V-NLCS showed the highest Raman enhancement factor, which was about 77-fold greater than the H-NLCS and about 19-fold greater than C-NLCS. The results presented here reveal the nature and significance of orientational ordering in controlling plasmonic coupling and SERS enhancements of ordered plasmonic nanoparticle arrays.

Bipyramid-templated synthesis of monodisperse anisotropic gold nanocrystals

Much of the interest in noble metal nanoparticles is due to their plasmonic resonance responses and local field enhancement, both of which can be tuned through the size and shape of the particles. However, both properties suffer from the loss of monodispersity that is frequently associated with various morphologies of nanoparticles. Here we show a method to generate diverse and monodisperse anisotropic gold nanoparticle shapes with various tip geometries as well as highly tunable size augmentations through either oxidative etching or seed-mediated growth of purified, monodisperse gold bipyramids. The conditions employed in the etching and growth processes also offer valuable insights into the growth mechanism difficult to realize with other gold nanostructures. The high-index facets and more complicated structure of the bipyramid lead to a wider variety of intriguing regrowth structures than in previously studied nanoparticles. Our results introduce a class of gold bipyramid-based nanoparticles with interesting and potentially useful features to the toolbox of gold nanoparticles.

Tuning the morphology of nanoparticles can alter their optical properties but often at the cost of monodispersity. Here, the authors report the synthesis of monodisperse anisotropic gold nanoparticles with various tip geometries as well as highly tunable size augmentations from purified gold bipyramids.

Size and nanocrystallinity controlled gold nanocrystals: synthesis, electronic and mechanical properties

The influence of nanocrystallinity on the electronic and mechanical properties of metal nanoparticles is still poorly understood, due to the difficulty in synthesizing nanoparticles with a controlled internal structure. Here, we report on a new method for the selective synthesis of Au nanoparticles in either a single-domain or a polycrystalline phase maintaining the same chemical environment. We obtain quasi-spherical nanoparticles whose diameter is tunable from 6 to 13 nm with a resolution down to ≈0.5 nm and narrow size distribution (4-5%). The availability of such high-quality samples allows the study of the impact of the particle size and nanocrystallinity on a number of parameters, such as plasmon dephasing time, electron-phonon coupling, period and damping time of the radial breathing modes.

From gold nanobipyramids to nanojavelins for a precise tuning of the plasmon resonance to the infrared wavelengths: experimental and theoretical aspects

Anisotropic gold nanoparticles and in particular with shapes exhibiting tips are known to present an extremely strong localized electromagnetic field. This field is mostly located at the top of the tips and can be used in various optical applications. Moreover, as a consequence of their anisotropy, they present two plasmon resonance bands corresponding to the transverse and longitudinal resonance modes. Tuning the aspect ratio it becomes possible to display SPR bands near the near infrared region. This was particularly investigated in the case of nanorods and also for bipyramids. In this paper we report a high yield synthesis approach that allows one to precisely control the aspect ratio of bipyramids and to elongate the structure until they adopt a javelin-like aspect. We were able to prepare nano-javelins with surface plasmon resonances up to 1850 nm, opening important perspectives in terms of optical applications in the NIR and IR regions. The synthetic methods are fully reported and the optical properties were correlated with the theoretical approach, taking into consideration not only the aspect ratio but also the truncation of the nano-objects.

Site-specific growth of AgPd nanodendrites on highly purified Au bipyramids with remarkable catalytic performance

Au nanorods have been extensively explored in various applications as the template for heterogeneous metallic nanostructures. However, Au bipyramids (AuBPs) have been paid much less attention although they possess an intriguing crystalline structure and extremely superior plasmonic properties which are absent in AuNRs. The state-of-the-art synthesis cannot produce pure AuBPs, which has become a major barrier to their various applications like catalysis since purity is often critical for achieving the desired performance. Herein, we have shown a facile approach to obtain large-scale high-purity AuBPs. The purity of AuBPs can be improved from 30 to 50% for the as-synthesized AuBP solution to over 95% for the purified solution. Site-specific growth of AgPd nanodendrites on multiply twinned AuBPs from core-shell to tipped nanostructures was achieved for the first time by coupling a galvanic replacement with a co-reduction process, which show remarkable catalytic activity in the reduction reaction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) by NaBH4. The use of ascorbic acid (AA) as a reductant in the co-reduction process and the intriguing crystalline structure of AuBPs play a critical role in forming these unique structures. We believe that this work would provide a general strategy to prepare high-purity AuBP based trimetallic nanostructures, which offers the opportunity for AuBPs to be widely used in catalysis or other plasmonic-effect related applications in the near future.