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Abstract Engineering the nucleation and growth of plasmonic metals (Ag and Au) on their pre‐existing seeds is expected to produce nanostructures with unconventional morphologies and plasmonic properties that may find unique applications in sensing, catalysis, and broadband energy harvesting. Typical seed‐mediated growth processes take advantage of the perfect lattice match between the deposited metal and seeds to induce conformal coating, leading to either simple size increases (e.g., Au on Au) or the formation of core–shell structures (e.g., Ag on Au) with limited morphology change. In this work, we show that the introduction of a thin layer of metal with considerable lattice mismatch can effectively induce the nucleation of well‐defined Au islands on Au nanocrystal seeds. By controlling the interfacial energy between the seed and the deposited material, the oxidative ripening, and the surface diffusion of metal precursors, we can regulate the number of islands on the seeds and produce complex Au nanostructures with morphologies tunable from core‐satellites to tetramers, trimers, and dimers.
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Dichroic switching of core–shell plasmonic nanoparticles on reflective surfaces
Abstract Plasmonic metal nanostructures can simultaneously scatter and absorb light, with resonance wavelength and strength depending on their morphology and composition. This work demonstrates that unique dichroic effects and high‐contrast colour‐switching can be achieved by leveraging the resonant scattering and absorption of light by plasmonic nanostructures and the specular reflection of the resulting transmitted light. Using core/shell nanostructures comprising a metal core and a dielectric shell, we show that their spray coating on reflective substrates produces dichroic films that can display colour switching at different viewing angles. The high‐contrast colour switching, high flexibility in designing multicolour patterns, and convenience for large‐scale production promise their wide range of applications, including anticounterfeiting, mechanochromic sensing, colour display, and printing.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2203972
- PAR ID:
- 10475098
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Exploration
- Volume:
- 4
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 2766-8509
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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