Pulsed Electrodeposition of Gold Nanoparticles on Fluorine-Doped Tin Oxide Glass and Absorption-Based Surface Plasmon Resonance Evaluation

Abstract

Synthesis and immobilization of Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) was performed on transparent fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate by pulse electrodeposition method. The method was cost effective, simple and capable of producing nanoparticles strongly attached to the substrate. Effects of several influencing factors such as duty cycle, pulse frequency, current density, solution concentration, deposition period and annealing procedure on the optical properties of AuNPs-FTO electrode were investigated. AuNPs-FTO electrodes were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and UV-Vis absorption analysis. Controllability of the plasmon absorption of the electrodeposited film by tuning of the electrodeposition conditions and thermal annealing procedure was important achievements helpful to the progress of the AuNP film applications in the tunable localized surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy (LSPR) manufacturing industry.