Structural control of Ag nanoparticle formation using a polymeric material

Abstract

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) refers to collective electron oscillations confined at the metal interface, which strongly enhances photoluminescence in response to exposure from UV-vis light, heating, and specific ions. This unique optical property can be applied to various research fields, including chemical, bio-sensing, and photocatalyst. The SPR depends on the morphology, size, and uniformity of nanoparticles. For the precise control of the morphology and the fabrication of uniform nanoparticles, understanding of nucleation and growth kinetics is essential. Using in situ liquid-cell TEM, we could monitor the dynamics of nanoparticle formation by the electron beam. We introduced a polymer as a stabilizing and shape-directing agent for uniform nanoparticles. In this experiment, we could confirm the kinetics of nucleation and growth of nanoparticles, which correspond to the traditional LaMer theory. By the addition of a polymeric material, we observed the inhibition of coarsening and controlled morphology with varying the electron dose rate. We are expecting that the study can provide insight for the fabrication of SPR based high performance sensors with uniform nanoparticles with well controlled morphology.