Study of anomalous infrared properties of nanomaterials through effective medium theory

Abstract

Effective medium theory is introduced into a three-layer model to study the anomalous IR properties of nanostructured Pt films. A composite system is set up for the nanostructured film together with adsorbates and water around it. The anomalous IR spectral features, which exhibit a transition from enhanced (or normal) IR absorption to Fano-type bipolar line shape and, finally, to enhanced anomalous IR absorption (the abnormal infrared effects) along with the change in structure and size of nanomaterials, as observed through experiments for CO molecule adsorption, are elucidated by an increase in the volume fraction of metal in the composite system and the effective thickness of the composite system. The theoretical simulation results illustrate that the spectral line shape of IR absorption depends strongly on the volume fraction of metal, while the intensity of the IR band is directly proportional to the effective thickness. This study has revealed, through a physical optical aspect of interaction of CO molecules with nanostructured metal films, one of the possible origins of anomalous IR properties and has shed light on interpreting the peculiar properties of nanomaterials.