Plasmonic Nanostructures Could Provide Platform For Photocatalysis, Spectroscopy

Researchers have developed a way to build multifunctional nanoscale structures using aluminum nanocrystals. The structures have an aluminum core and are dotted with even smaller metallic islands. The nanocrystals are used as a base for creating size-tunable transition-metal nanoparticle islands that enable localized surface plasmon resonances. According to researchers, aluminum is an effective plasmonic material, and adding smaller catalytic particles from three columns of the periodic table could enhance the structure’s ability to promote chemical reactions driven by photonic energy.

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