Surface plasmon spectroscopy of gold-poly-N-isopropylacrylamide core-shell particles

In situ characterization of crystallization and melting of soft, thermoresponsive microgels by small-angle X-ray scattering

Depending on the volume fraction and interparticle interactions, colloidal suspensions can form different phases, ranging from fluids, crystals, and glasses to gels. For soft microgels that are made from thermoresponsive polymers, the volume fraction can be tuned by temperature, making them excellent systems to experimentally study phase transitions in dense colloidal suspensions. However, investigations of phase transitions at high particle concentration and across the volume phase transition temperature in particular, are challenging due to the deformability and possibility for interpenetration between microgels. Here, we investigate the dense phases of composite core-shell microgels that have a small gold core and a thermoresponsive microgel shell. Employing Ultra Small-Angle X-ray Scattering, we make use of the strong scattering signal from the gold cores with respect to the almost negligible signal from the shells. By changing the temperature we study the freezing and melting transitions of the system in situ. Using Bragg peak analysis and the Williamson-Hall method, we characterize the phase transitions in detail. We show that the system crystallizes into an rhcp structure with different degrees of in-plane and out-of-plane stacking disorder that increase upon particle swelling. We further find that the melting process is distinctly different, where the system separates into two different crystal phases with different melting temperatures and interparticle interactions.

The fuzzy sphere morphology is responsible for the increase in light scattering during the shrinkage of thermoresponsive microgels

Thermoresponsive microgels undergo a volume phase transition from a swollen state under good solvent conditions to a collapsed state under poor solvent conditions. The most prominent examples of such responsive systems are based on poly-(N-isopropylacrylamide). When cross-linked with N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide, such microgels typically possess a fuzzy-spherelike morphology with a higher cross-linked core and a loosely cross-linked fuzzy shell. Despite the efforts devoted to understanding the internal structure of microgels and their kinetics during collapse/swelling, the origins of the accompanying changes in light scattering intensity have barely been addressed. In this work, we study core-shell microgels that contain small gold nanoparticle cores with microgel shells of different thicknesses and cross-linker densities. All microgels are small enough to fulfill the Rayleigh-Debye-Gans criterion at all stages of swelling. Due to the high X-ray contrast of the gold cores, we can use absolute intensity small-angle X-ray scattering to determine the number density in the dilute dispersions. This allows us to extract polymer volume fractions of the microgels at different stages of swelling from form factor analysis of small-angle neutron scattering data. We match our findings to results from temperature-dependent absorbance measurements. The increase in absorbance during the shrinkage of the microgels is related to the transition from fuzzy spheres to hard sphere-like scattering objects with a rather homogeneous density profile. We provide a first attempt to model experimental spectra using finite difference time domain simulations that take into account the structural changes during the volume phase transition. Our findings significantly contribute to the understanding of the optical properties of thermoresponsive microgels. Further, we provide polymer volume fractions and microgel refractive indices as a function of the swelling state.

A General Nanocoating Method via Photoinduced Self-Initiation

Hybrid core-shell nanoparticles play a very significant role in many applications. Here, we report a light-induced oligomer coating on nanoparticles via Norrish type I reaction. The radical species generated via UV irradiation can chemically initiate the photoinitiators, which are then polymerized and deposited on inorganic nanoparticles via heterogeneous nucleation, forming a soft oligomer coating smaller than 40 nm. This coating method is versatile and potentially applicable to many different types of inorganic cores and their assemblies, making it a very useful technique for "freezing" nanoassemblies in solution. Moreover, these oligomer coatings containing radical species can also initiate surface polymerization of both styrenic and acrylic monomers with certain functionalities for different applications such as self-assembly, plasmon tuning, and pH sensing (3.5-4.5).

Translational and rotational diffusion coefficients of gold nanorods functionalized with a high molecular weight, thermoresponsive ligand: a depolarized dynamic light scattering study

Probing the rotational and translational diffusion and colloidal stability of nanorods is of significant fundamental interest with implications for many different applications. Recently R. Nixon-Luke and G. Bryant presented a method to analyze angle-dependent depolarized dynamic light scattering data allowing for the clear separation of the translational and rotational diffusion coefficients of gold nanorods in dilute suspension (R. Nixon-Luke and G. Bryant, Part. Part. Syst. Charact., 2018, 36, 1800388). In the present work we applied this analysis to gold nanorods decorated with high molecular weight, thermoresponsive poly-N-isopropylacrylamide ligands, which results in particles with lower effective aspect ratios. The temperature response of the ligand shell is studied. We precisely determine the translational and rotational diffusion coefficients over a broad range of temperatures and the results are compared to theoretical predictions. The results show that as temperature increases the ligands collapse, and the effective aspect ratio increases as the particle shape transitions from prolate spheroid at low temperatures to more cylindrical at high temperatures.

Smart membranes by electron beam cross-linking of copolymer microgels

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM) based copolymer microgels were used to create free-standing, transferable, thermoresponsive membranes. The microgels were synthesized by copolymerization of NIPAM with N-benzylhydrylacrylamide (NBHAM). Monolayers of these colloidal gels were subsequently cross-linked using an electron gun leading to the formation of a connected monolayer. Furthermore, the cross-linked microgel layer is detached from the supporting material by dissolving the substrate. These unique systems can be used as transferable, thermoresponsive coatings and as thermoresponsive membranes. As a proof of principle for the use of such membranes we studied the ion transport through them at different temperatures revealing drastic changes when the lower critical solution temperature of the copolymer microgels is reached.

Nucleation Points: The Forgotten Parameter in the Synthesis of Hydrogel-Coated Gold Nanoparticles

The implementation of gold-hydrogel core-shell nanomaterials in novel light-driven technologies requires the development of well-controlled and scalable synthesis protocols with precisely tunable properties. Herein, new insights are presented concerning the importance of using the concentration of gold cores as a control parameter in the seeded precipitation polymerization process to modulate—regardless of core size—relevant fabrication parameters such as encapsulation yield, particle size and shrinkage capacity. Controlling the number of nucleation points results in the facile tuning of the encapsulation process, with yields reaching 99% of gold cores even when using different core sizes at a given particle concentration. This demonstration is extended to the encapsulation of bimodal gold core mixtures with equally precise control on the encapsulation yield, suggesting that this principle could be extended to encapsulating cores composed of other materials. These findings could have a significant impact on the development of stimuli-responsive smart materials.

From normal diffusion to superdiffusion: Photothermal heating of plasmonic core-shell microgels

The motion of core-shell colloids during laser heating is studied using angle-dependent pump-probe dynamic light scattering. The cores consist of a single spherical gold nanoparticle whose localized surface plasmon resonance has a strong spectral overlap with the wavelength of the pump laser. They are homogeneously encapsulated in thick hydrogel shells composed of either chemically cross-linked poly-N-isopropylacrylamide or poly[2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate], both of which exhibit a temperature-dependent volume phase transition. Thus, upon heating beyond the transition temperature, the hydrogel shells shrink. Intensity-time autocorrelation functions are recorded while illuminating the samples with the pump laser and hence heating the gold cores. With increasing laser intensity, the dynamics changes from normal Brownian motion to superdiffusion. Nevertheless, in the high-q limit, the relaxation times can be extracted and used to estimate the temperature increase, which can reach almost 10 K. This causes a significant deswelling of the hydrogel shells, which is also measured.

Silver Nanoparticle Gradient Arrays: Fluorescence Enhancement of Organic Dyes

Noble metal nanoparticles show pronounced extinction peaks in the visible wavelength range due to their localized surface plasmon resonances. The excitation of these resonances leads to strong confinement of electromagnetic energy at nanometer scales, which is critical for ultrasensitive, fluorescence-based detection of analytes. The strength and spatial distribution of this near-field zone depend on particle size, shape, and composition. To determine how these near-field effects depend on the particle size, we have prepared nanoparticle gradients on centimeter-scale substrates using a colloid-based approach. This plasmonic gradient is used to study the steady-state emission and fluorescence lifetime of a common organic dye that was embedded into the monolayer.

In-Plane Surface Lattice and Higher Order Resonances in Self-Assembled Plasmonic Monolayers: From Substrate-Supported to Free-Standing Thin Films

Periodic arrays of plasmonic nanostructures are able to strongly confine light at the nanometer scale because of surface lattice resonances. These resonances are the result of electromagnetic coupling between single-particle localized surface plasmon resonances and Bragg resonances of the periodic lattice. Here, we investigate the effect of a finite size refractive index environment on the formation of surface lattice resonances by increasing the thickness of a polymer coating in nanometer-scale increments. Wet-chemically synthesized, spherical silver and gold nanoparticles with soft hydrogel shells are self-assembled into macroscopic, hexagonally ordered arrays on glass substrates using an interface-assisted approach. The resulting periodic plasmonic monolayers are subsequently coated by a polymer matching closely the refractive index of the glass support. The optical response of the plasmonic arrays is studied using far-field extinction spectroscopy and supported by numerical simulations. We show the formation of surface lattice resonances as well as higher order resonances in finite thickness polymer coatings. The resonance positions are determined by the interparticle spacing as well as the plasmonic material. Additionally, we demonstrate that a coating thickness of 450 nm is sufficient to support strong in-plane surface lattice resonances. This enables us to prepare macroscopic, free-standing polymer films with embedded plasmonic nanoparticle arrays, which feature strong surface lattice resonances.

Improved Smart Microgel Carriers for Catalytic Silver Nanoparticles

Acrylamide-based, thermoresponsive core-shell microgels with a linear phase transition region are used as improved carriers for catalytically active silver nanoparticles in the present study. In this context, we investigated the swelling behavior of the carriers and the stability of the silver nanoparticles inside the polymer network with photon correlation spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and by following the surface plasmon resonance of the nanoparticles. Depending on the cross-linker content of the microgel core, we observed very good stability of the nanoparticles inside the microgel network, with nearly no bleeding or aggregation of the nanoparticles over several weeks for core cross-linker contents of 5 and 10 mol %. The architecture of the hybrid particles in the swollen state was investigated with cryogenic transmission electron microscopy. The particles exhibit a core-shell structure, with the silver nanoparticles located mainly at the interface between the core and shell. This architecture was not used before and seems to grant advanced stability to the nanoparticles inside the network in combination with good switchability of the catalytic activity. This was measured by following the reduction of 4-nitrophenole, which is a well-studied model reaction. The obtained Arrhenius plots show that similar to previous works, the swelling of the core and shell can influence the catalytic activity of the silver nanoparticles. As mentioned before, the cross-linker content of the core seems to be a very important parameter for the switchability of the catalytic activity. A higher cross-linker content of the core seems to be connected to a stronger influence of the carrier swelling degree on the catalytic activity of the silver nanoparticles.

Dynamics and Wetting Behavior of Core-Shell Soft Particles at a Fluid-Fluid Interface

We investigate the conformation, position, and dynamics of core-shell nanoparticles (CSNPs) composed of a silica core encapsulated in a cross-linked poly( N-isopropylacrylamide) shell at a water-oil interface for a systematic range of core sizes and shell thicknesses. We first present a free-energy model that we use to predict the CSNP wetting behavior at the interface as a function of its geometrical and compositional properties in the bulk phases, which is in good agreement with our experimental data. Remarkably, based on the knowledge of the polymer shell deformability, the equilibrium particle position relative to the interface plane, an often elusive experimental quantity, can be extracted by measuring its radial dimensions after adsorption. For all the systems studied here, the interfacial dimensions are always larger than in bulk and the particle core resides in a configuration, wherein it just touches the interface or is fully immersed in water. Moreover, the stretched shell induces a larger viscous drag at the interface, which appears to depend solely on the interfacial dimensions, irrespective of the portion of the CSNP surface exposed to the two fluids. Our findings indicate that tailoring the architecture of CSNPs can be used to control their properties at the interface, as of interest for applications including emulsion stabilization and nanopatterning.

Plasmonic and colloidal stability behaviours of Au-acrylic core-shell nanoparticles with thin pH-responsive shells

The localised surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of Au nanoparticles (NPs) as well as its interaction with nearby entities provides a wealth of fundamental and practical information at the nanometre scale. A number of studies have investigated core-shell NPs with Au cores and polymer shells that are temperature-responsive. However, there are very few studies of pH-responsive Au-polymer NP shells. Precipitation polymerisation is a scalable method and here we establish such a method to synthesise pH-responsive Au-poly(methyl methacrylate) copolymer core-shell NPs without the need for pre-functionalisation. The comonomers used were methacrylic acid (MAA) or 2-carboxyethyl acrylate (CEA) and the shells were crosslinked with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate. A series of five core-shell systems with collapsed shell thicknesses less than 30 nm are studied. The shell-thicknesses for the CEA-based core-shell NPs are relatively thin (≤5 nm) compared to related Au-polymer core-shell NPs prepared using precipitation polymerisation. The LSPR properties of the core-shell NPs were dependent on the shell thickness and were successfully simulated using finite difference time domain (FDTD) calculations. Two systems are considered further as exemplars. The MAA-based core-shell system with the thickest shell exhibited enhanced colloidal stability to added electrolyte. The CEA-based core-shell dispersion with the thinnest shells displayed reversible pH-triggered aggregation and was cytocompatible for HeLa cells. Proof-of-concept data are presented that demonstrate intracellular pH reporting.

Diffusion of Gold Nanorods Functionalized with Thermoresponsive Polymer Brushes

Understanding the diffusion of gold nanorods (AuNRs) and their composites in dispersion is important at fundamental level and in fields as diverse as material science, nanobiotechnology to drug delivery. The translational and rotational diffusion of AuNRs decorated with thermoresponsive poly( N-isopropylacrylamide) brushes having hydrophilic and hydrophobic end groups was investigated in the dilute regime by dynamic light scattering. The same series of functionalized AuNRs were studied in the isotropic concentrated dispersions by high-resolution NMR diffusometry. The dependence of translational and rotational diffusivity upon molecular weight and polymer end group were measured as a function of temperature in the region of the brush phase transition. The effective hydrodynamic radius of AuNR composites proved to be the most sensitive quantity to the temperature-induced phase transition of brushes, allowing the evaluation of the brush thickness in the swollen and collapsed states.

Magnetic and Electric Resonances in Particle-to-Film-Coupled Functional Nanostructures

We investigate the plasmonic coupling of metallic nanoparticles with continuous metal films by studying the effect of the particle-to-film distance, cavity geometry, and particle size. To efficiently screen these parameters, we fabricated a particle-to-film-coupled functional nanostructure for which the particle size and distance vary. We use gold-core/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-shell nanoparticles to self-assemble a monolayer of well-separated plasmonic particles, introduce a gradient in the nanoparticle size by an overgrowth process, and finally add a coupling metal film by evaporation. These assemblies are characterized using surface probing and optical methods to show localized magnetic and electric field enhancement. The results are in agreement with finite-difference time-domain modeling methods and calculations of the effective permeability and permittivity. Finally, we provide a proof of concept for dynamic tuning of the cavity size by swelling of the hydrogel layer. Thus, the tunability of the coupled resonance and the macroscopic self-assembly technique provides access to a cost-efficient library for magnetic and electric resonances.

Stable in Bulk and Aggregating at the Interface: Comparing Core-Shell Nanoparticles in Suspension and at Fluid Interfaces

Colloidal particles are extensively used to assemble materials from bulk suspensions or after adsorption and confinement at fluid interfaces (e.g., oil-water interfaces). Interestingly, and often underestimated, optimizing interactions for bulk assembly may not lead to the same behavior at fluid interfaces. In this work, we compare model composite nanoparticles with a silica core coated with a poly-N-isopropylacrylamide hydrogel shell in bulk aqueous suspensions and after adsorption at an oil-water interface. Bulk properties are analyzed by confocal differential dynamic microscopy, a recently developed technique that allows one to simultaneously obtain structural and dynamical information up to high volume fractions. The results demonstrate excellent colloidal stability and the absence of aggregation in all cases. The behavior at the interface, investigated by a range of complementary approaches, is instead different. The same hydrogel shells that stabilize the particles in the bulk deform at the interface and induce attractive capillary interactions that lead to aggregation even at very low area fractions (surface coverage). Upon further compression of a particle-laden interface, a structural transition is observed where closely packed particle aggregates form. These findings emphasize the manifestation of different, and possibly unexpected, responses for sterically stabilized nanoparticles in the bulk and upon interfacial confinement.

Role of Absorbing Nanocrystal Cores in Soft Photonic Crystals: A Spectroscopy and SANS Study

Periodic superstructures of plasmonic nanoparticles have attracted significant interest because they can support coupled plasmonic modes, making them interesting for plasmonic lasing, metamaterials, and as light-management structures in thin-film optoelectronic devices. We have recently shown that noble metal hydrogel core-shell colloids allow for the fabrication of highly ordered 2-dimensional plasmonic lattices that show surface lattice resonances as the result of plasmonic/diffractive coupling (Volk, K.; Fitzgerald, J. P. S.; Ruckdeschel, P.; Retsch, M.; König, T. A. F.; Karg, M. Reversible Tuning of Visible Wavelength Surface Lattice Resonances in Self-Assembled Hybrid Monolayers. Adv. Optical Mater. 2017, 5, 1600971, DOI: 10.1002/adom.201600971). In the present work, we study the photonic properties and structure of 3-dimensional crystalline superstructures of gold hydrogel core-shell colloids and their pitted counterparts without gold cores. We use far-field extinction spectroscopy to investigate the optical response of these superstructures. Narrow Bragg peaks are measured, independently of the presence or absence of the gold cores. All crystals show a significant reduction in low-wavelength scattering. This leads to a significant enhancement of the plasmonic properties of the samples prepared from gold-nanoparticle-containing core-shell colloids. Plasmonic/diffractive coupling is not evident, which we mostly attribute to the relatively small size of the gold cores limiting the effective coupling strength. Small-angle neutron scattering is applied to study the crystal structure. Bragg peaks of several orders clearly assignable to an fcc arrangement of the particles are observed for all crystalline samples in a broad range of volume fractions. Our results indicate that the nanocrystal cores do not influence the overall crystallization behavior or the crystal structure. These are important prerequisites for future studies on photonic materials built from core-shell particles, in particular, the development of new photonic materials from plasmonic nanocrystals.

Role of Anionic Surfactants in the Synthesis of Smart Microgels Based on Different Acrylamides

We investigated the influence of two anionic surfactants, namely, sodium dodecyl sulfate and sodium decyl sulfate, on acrylamide-based microgels consisting of N-n-propylacrylamide. In this context, the main focus was on the influence of surfactant addition on the size of the microgels. The surfactant was added to the reaction mixture before or during the polymerization at different points in time. Microgels were characterized via photon correlation spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. All results were compared to those for other more common acrylamide-based microgels consisting of N-isopropylacrylamide and N-isopropylmethacrylamide. A significant difference between the three microgels and a strong dependence on the surface activity of the surfactant was found.

Laser Flash Photolysis of Au-PNIPAM Core-Shell Nanoparticles: Dynamics of the Shell Response

Hydrophobic forces play a key role in the processes of collapse and reswelling of thermoresponsive polymers. However, little is known about the dynamics of these processes. Here, thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-encapsulated gold nanoparticles (Au-PNIPAM) are heated via nanosecond laser flash photolysis. Photothermal heating via excitation of the localized surface plasmon resonance of the Au nanoparticle cores results in rapid PNIPAM shell collapse within the 10 ns pulse width of the laser. Remarkably, reswelling of the polymer shell takes place in less than 100 ns. A clear pump fluence threshold for the collapse of the PNIPAM shell is demonstrated, below which collapse is not observed. Reswelling takes longer at higher laser intensities.

Simple Method for Tuning the Optical Properties of Thermoresponsive Plasmonic Nanogels

We report a straightforward way for forming and tuning the optical properties of thermally responsive plasmonic nanogels. Upon functionalization, a small red shift (2-3 nm) of the pNIPAM@AuNPs was observed due to changes in the refractive index surrounding the AuNP. By adding thermoresponsive poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (pNIPAM) into the pNIPAM@AuNP, its optical response was significantly increased. Heating the nanogel such that the pNIPAM collapsed and acted as a cross-link resulted in the aggregation of the AuNPs. The plasmonic response with red shifts of up to 20 nm was observed. The enlarged red shift was due to the increase in the dielectric constant around the particles and the interparticle interaction of the AuNPs. The interparticle interaction also leads to the broadening of the spectra. Experimental data and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) calculation are in agreement with this observation. The temperature-dependent optical properties were reversible through multiple cycles of heating and cooling.

Influence of Temperature on the Colloidal Stability of Polymer-Coated Gold Nanoparticles in Cell Culture Media

The temperature-dependence of the hydrodynamic diameter and colloidal stability of gold-polymer core-shell particles with temperature-sensitive (poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)) and temperature-insensitive shells (polyallylaminine hydrochloride/polystyrensulfonate, poly(isobutylene-alt-maleic anhydride)-graft-dodecyl) are investigated in various aqueous media. The data demonstrate that for all nanoparticle agglomeration, i.e., increase in effective nanoparticle size, the presence of salts or proteins in the dispersion media has to be taken into account. Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) coated nanoparticles show a reversible temperature-dependent increase in size above the volume phase transition of the polymer shell when they are dispersed in phosphate buffered saline or in media containing protein. In contrast, the nanoparticles coated with temperature-insensitive polymers show a time-dependent increase in size in phosphate buffered saline or in medium containing protein. This is due to time-dependent agglomeration, which is particularly strong in phosphate buffered saline, and induces a time-dependent, irreversible increase in the hydrodynamic diameter of the nanoparticles. This demonstrates that one has to distinguish between temperature- and time-induced agglomerations. Since the size of nanoparticles regulates their uptake by cells, temperature-dependent uptake of thermosensitive and non-thermosensitive nanoparticles by cells lines is compared. No temperature-specific difference between both types of nanoparticles could be observed.

The role of colloidal plasmonic nanostructures in organic solar cells

A colloidal self-assembly concept is introduced for the fabrication of optically homogenous monolayers of plasmonic Au-nanoparticles in organic solar cells.

Review on synthesis, properties, characterization, and applications of responsive microgels fabricated with gold nanostructures

In this article, the classification, synthesis, properties, and applications of responsive microgels fabricated with gold (Au) nanostructures have been systematically reviewed. Microspheres, core-shell, core-shell-shell, hollow rings, and yolk-shell are different types of hybrid microgels containing Au nanostructures that have been reported in the literature. Hybrid microgels have tunable properties of both Au nanomaterial and smart polymeric material. Due to this unique combination, hybrid microgels containing Au nanomaterial are potential candidates for applications in drug delivery, photothermal therapy, glucose sensing, insulin delivery, catalysis, photonics, and ultrasensitive analyte analysis. Recent research progress in the design, characterization, and applications of Au nanomaterial containing smart polymer microgels has been described here. Many gaps in the literature and future perspectives of Au nanomaterial-based hybrid microgels have been highlighted in this review, which will be helpful for the people working in this area to plan their future work.

Multipetal-Structured and Dumbbell-Structured Gold-Polymer Composite Particles with Self-Modulated Catalytic Activity

A simple synthesis route for gold-polymer composite particles with controlled structure (multipetal structure and dumbbell structure) is developed. It is intriguing to observe that by controlling the reaction time and size of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), tetrapetal-, tripetal-, and dumbbell-structured gold-polystyrene composite are obtained via seeded polymerization. The average number of petals on a single AuNP increases with the AuNP diameter. These particles show potential applications as building blocks for advanced ordered and hierarchical supracolloidal materials. Further, with the incorporation of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm), "smart" thermoresponsive dumbbell-structured gold-PNIPAm/polystyrene composite particles are formed. Significant size variation is validated for particles with 83 and 91 wt % PNIPAm content around lower critical solution temperature (LCST), which results in self-modulated catalytic activity.

Time-Controlled Colloidal Superstructures: Long-Range Plasmon Resonance Coupling in Particle Monolayers

Particle interactions, from pronounced dipolar plasmon coupling to noncoupling in colloidal monolayers with interparticle distances of hundreds of nanometers, are demonstrated. Macroscopically sized, hexagonal monolayers with exceptionally high degrees of order are fabricated in one step. Time controls the interparticle spacing and no further processing is required.

Thermoresponsive PNIPAAm hydrogel scaffolds with encapsulated AuNPs show high analyte-trapping ability and tailored plasmonic properties for high sensing efficiency

The preparation of thermoresponsive PNIPAAm hydrogel scaffolds with encapsulated AuNPs showed high analyte-trapping ability and tailored plasmonic properties with high sensing efficiency.

Hollow double-layered polymer microspheres with pH and thermo-responsive properties as nitric oxide-releasing reservoirs

TheN-diazeniumdiolated hollow double-layered P(AmEMA-co-EGDMA)/P(NIPAAm-co-DMAEMA-co-EGDMA) microspheres (NO as 3.0 μmol mg⁻¹) show a steady NO release behavior in a wide range of pHs (5–9) and temperatures (20–55 °C).

Plasmonic gold–poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) core–shell colloids with homogeneous density profiles: a small angle scattering study

Four scattering methods covering nearly three orders of magnitude in momentum transfer verify homogeneous network structures in gold–PNIPAM core–shell colloids.

Plasmonic library based on substrate-supported gradiential plasmonic arrays

We present a versatile approach to produce macroscopic, substrate-supported arrays of plasmonic nanoparticles with well-defined interparticle spacing and a continuous particle size gradient. The arrays thus present a "plasmonic library" of locally noncoupling plasmonic particles of different sizes, which can serve as a platform for future combinatorial screening of size effects. The structures were prepared by substrate assembly of gold-core/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-shell particles and subsequent post-modification. Coupling of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) could be avoided since the polymer shell separates the encapsulated gold cores. To produce a particle array with a broad range of well-defined but laterally distinguishable particle sizes, the substrate was dip-coated in a growth solution, which resulted in an overgrowth of the gold cores controlled by the local exposure time. The kinetics was quantitatively analyzed and found to be diffusion rate controlled, allowing for precise tuning of particle size by adjusting the withdrawal speed. We determined the kinetics of the overgrowth process, investigated the LSPRs along the gradient by UV-vis extinction spectroscopy, and compared the spectroscopic results to the predictions from Mie theory, indicating the absence of local interparticle coupling. We finally discuss potential applications of these substrate-supported plasmonic particle libraries and perspectives toward extending the concept from size to composition variation and screening of plasmonic coupling effects.

Plasmonic nanocomposites: polymer-guided strategies for assembling metal nanoparticles

Noble metal nanoparticles that support localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) have the unique ability to manipulate and confine light at subwavelength dimensions. Utilizing these capabilities in devices and coatings requires the controlled organization of metal nanoparticles into ordered or hierarchical structures. Polymer grafts can be used as assembly-regulating molecules that bind to the nanoparticle surface and guide nanoparticle organization in solution, at interfaces, and within condensed phases. Here, we present an overview of polymer-directed assembly of plasmonic nanoparticles. We discuss how polymer grafts can be used to control short-range nanoparticle interactions that dictate interparticle gap distance and orientation. We also discuss how condensed polymer grafts can be used to control long-range order within condensed nanoparticle-polymer blends. The assembly of shaped plasmonic nanoparticles that have potential applications in enhanced spectroscopy and optical metamaterials is highlighted. We end with a summary of promising new directions toward the fabrication of plasmonic nanocomposites that are responsive and possess three-dimensional order.

Tuning thermoresponsive behavior of diblock copolymers and their gold core hybrids. Part 2. How properties change depending on block attachment to gold nanoparticles

Thermoresponsive diblock copolymers of di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (DEGMA) and oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate (OEGA) were synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization, allowing us to prepare diblocks with a thiol group at the desired chain end, and bond that block to a ~20 nm gold nanoparticle core. The cloud point and coil-globule transition window were measured by UV-vis spectroscopy. The gold core lowered the cloud point and narrowed the coil-globule transition window of all the diblock hybrids, but raised the cloud point of statistical copolymer hybrids that had similar cloud points. The extent of the change in the thermo-response properties of the hybrid diblock copolymers was more significant when the gold was bonded to the DEGMA block than the OEGA block. This block is less hydrophilic and sterically hindered than OEGA and may adsorb more effectively to the gold so that the hydration of the outer OEGA block is relatively unaffected by the Au core. This work indicates that diblock copolymers allow factors such as steric bulk and the effects on arrangement around a metal core to be effective tools for manipulating thermo-responsive properties that are not as significant with statistical copolymers.

Fabrication of metal nanoparticle arrays by controlled decomposition of polymer particles

We report a novel fabrication method for ordered arrays of metal nanoparticles that exploits the uniform arrangement of polymer beads deposited as close-packed monolayers. In contrast to colloidal lithography that applies particles as masks, we used thermal decomposition of the metal-covered particles to precisely define metal structures. Large arrays of noble metal (Au, Ag, Pt) nanoparticles were produced in a three-step process on silicon, fused silica and sapphire substrates, demonstrating the generality of this approach. Polystyrene spheres with diameters ranging between 110 nm and 1 μm were convectively assembled into crystalline monolayers, coated with metal and annealed in a resistive furnace or using an ethanol flame. The thermal decomposition of the polymer microspheres converted the metal layer into particles arranged in hexagonal arrays that preserved the order of the original monolayer. Both the particle size and the interparticle distance were adjusted via the thickness of the metal coating and the sphere diameter, respectively.

Thermally tunable catalytic and optical properties of gold-hydrogel nanocomposites

We have developed a very simple approach for preparing physically embedded gold cores in a temperature-responsive hydrogel polymer nanoparticle under fluorescent light irradiation. The complete encapsulation of the multiple gold core nanoparticles is confirmed by the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol, whose reactivity is significantly retarded above the lower critical solution temperature (LSCT) due to the deswelled polymer structure; its increased hydrophobicity slows the access of hydrophilic reactants to the cores. Since these gold cores are physically embedded in the polymer nanoparticles, further growth of the cores is reliably achieved in situ under light irradiation. Interestingly, the resulting composite nanoparticles exhibit reversible solution color changes as well as absorption bands from the visible to near-IR regions below and above the LSCT.