Modeling of the tunable plasmonic properties of spherical and ellipsoidal silver nanoparticles in the matrix of an organic semiconductor

Abstract

The object of research is the tunable plasmonic properties of spherical and ellipsoidal silver nanoparticles in the organic semiconductor matrix. The average absorption cross-sections, scattering cross-sections, and optical radiation efficiency of spherical and ellipsoidal silver nanoparticles have been simulated. The long-wave statistical approach has been used to model the optical parameters of the assembled spherical and ellipsoidal nanoparticles. Statistical averaging is used here, where absorption and scattering are considered from an «effective» particle with statistical properties. This approach avoids complex calculations considering the details of the spectral characteristics of single nanoparticles of different shapes. Taking into account the fact that the nanocomposite matrix will contain ensembles of spherical nanoparticles of different sizes, the peak of their absorption and scattering cross sections will be shifted to the short wavelength region of the spectrum compared to ensembles of the same spherical nanoparticles. In addition, there is a slight increase in the absorption cross-section and a decrease in the scattering cross-section, confirming the presence of smaller nanoparticles. A study was made of a composite material containing a randomly dispersed ensemble of silver ellipsoidal nanoparticles of the same and different shapes and sizes in an organic semiconductor matrix. An ensemble of identical ellipsoidal nanoparticles is characterized by the presence of two plasmon peaks, which corresponds to the characteristics of a single ellipsoidal nanoparticle. A completely different situation is observed if to consider that the nanocomposite will contain an ensemble of ellipsoidal nanoparticles of different shapes and sizes. Such nanoparticles will be characterized by a plasmon peak for both the absorption and scattering cross-sections. This can be explained by the fact that as the size of ellipsoidal nanoparticles decreases, the distance between the peaks responsible for the longitudinal and transverse modes of plasmon excitation decreases. An increase in the shape distribution leads to a broadening of the absorption and scattering cross-section spectra. The efficiency of the optical radiation increases as the size distribution increases. It is shown that a change in the refractive index of an organic semiconductor matrix mainly affects only the value of the scattering cross-section of an ensemble of ellipsoidal nanoparticles dispersed in it. This research is a preliminary step to studying the influence of these particles on the properties of organic light-emitting structures.