Chapter 2 - Plasmonic nanomaterials: noble metals and beyond

Abstract

Plasmonic nanomaterials have attracted enormous scientific and technological interest because of their attractive optical properties. Precise control of the composition, size, and shape of plasmonic nanostructures can allow for fine adjustment of their plasmonic features that are important for diverse technological applications. Chemical synthesis has been widely demonstrated to be a powerful way for producing and modifying various plasmonic nanomaterials. In this chapter, we mainly describe several common chemical methods for the controlled synthesis and assembly of plasmonic nanoparticles, starting from the recent developments to their prospects. Noble metal nanostructures, including differently sized and shaped Au, Ag nanoparticles, bimetallic and multimetallic plasmonic nanostructures, and assembled nanostructures, are described in detail. Apart from noble metal nanostructures, the recent progress of alternative plasmonic nanostructures based on non-noble metals and compounds is also highlighted. The chapter closes with a summary and discussion of the challenges and future directions in this research field.