Formation of Au nanoparticle arrays on hydrogel two-dimensional patterns based on poly(vinylpyrrolidone)

Abstract

In this study, we demonstrated the formation of Au nanoparticle (NP) arrays on two-dimensional gel patterns based on poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), which were fabricated by electron beam (EB) lithography. Au NPs were preferentially formed on PVP patterns by photoreduction in HAuCl4-containing MeOH solutions without any surface treatment. The number density of the Au NPs was highly controlled by changing the UV irradiation time; therefore, increasing the UV irradiation time produced Au NP arrays with highly packed Au NPs on the PVP patterns. The size of the cross-linking networks of PVP, which depended on the cross-linking density induced by EB irradiation, plays a very important role in the formation of Au NPs in the Au ion-containing solution under UV irradiation. We discussed the difference in the fabricated Au NP arrays at different EB exposure doses in terms of the interaction between the gel networks and the Au NPs formed.