Although gold is the subject of one of the most ancient themes of investigation in science, its renaissance now leads to an exponentially increasing number of publications, especially in the context of emerging nanoscience and nanotechnology with nanoparticles and self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). We will limit the present review to gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), also called gold colloids. AuNPs are the most stable metal nanoparticles, and they present fascinating aspects such as their assembly of multiple types involving materials science, the behavior of the individual particles, size-related electronic, magnetic and optical properties (quantum size effect), and their applications to catalysis and biology. Their promises are in these fields as well as in the bottom-up approach of nanotechnology, and they will be key materials and building block in the 21st century. Whereas the extraction of gold started in the 5th millennium B.C. near Varna (Bulgaria) and reached 10 tons per year in Egypt around 1200-1300 B.C. when the marvelous statue of Touthankamon was constructed, it is probable that “soluble” gold appeared around the 5th or 4th century B.C. in Egypt and China. In antiquity, materials were used in an ecological sense for both aesthetic and curative purposes. Colloidal gold was used to make ruby glass 293 Chem. Rev. 2004, 104, 293−346

Gold nanoparticles: assembly, supramolecular chemistry, quantum-size-related properties, and applications toward biology, catalysis, and nanotechnology.

Fundamentals of Plasmonics.- Electromagnetics of Metals.- Surface Plasmon Polaritons at Metal / Insulator Interfaces.- Excitation of Surface Plasmon Polaritons at Planar Interfaces.- Imaging Surface Plasmon Polariton Propagation.- Localized Surface Plasmons.- Electromagnetic Surface Modes at Low Frequencies.- Applications.- Plasmon Waveguides.- Transmission of Radiation Through Apertures and Films.- Enhancement of Emissive Processes and Nonlinearities.- Spectroscopy and Sensing.- Metamaterials and Imaging with Surface Plasmon Polaritons.- Concluding Remarks.

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Plasmonics: Fundamentals and Applications

The interest in nanoscale materials stems from the fact that new properties are acquired at this length scale and, equally important, that these properties * To whom correspondence should be addressed. Phone, 404-8940292; fax, 404-894-0294; e-mail, mostafa.el-sayed@ chemistry.gatech.edu. † Case Western Reserve UniversitysMillis 2258. ‡ Phone, 216-368-5918; fax, 216-368-3006; e-mail, burda@case.edu. § Georgia Institute of Technology. 1025 Chem. Rev. 2005, 105, 1025−1102

Chemistry and properties of nanocrystals of different shapes.

▪ Abstract Solution phase syntheses and size-selective separation methods to prepare semiconductor and metal nanocrystals, tunable in size from ∼1 to 20 nm and monodisperse to ≤5%, are presented. Preparation of monodisperse samples enables systematic characterization of the structural, electronic, and optical properties of materials as they evolve from molecular to bulk in the nanometer size range. Sample uniformity makes it possible to manipulate nanocrystals into close-packed, glassy, and ordered nanocrystal assemblies (superlattices, colloidal crystals, supercrystals). Rigorous structural characterization is critical to understanding the electronic and optical properties of both nanocrystals and their assemblies. At inter-particle separations 5–100 A, dipole-dipole interactions lead to energy transfer between neighboring nanocrystals, and electronic tunneling between proximal nanocrystals gives rise to dark and photoconductivity. At separations <5 A, exchange interactions cause otherwise insulating ass...

Synthesis and Characterization of Monodisperse Nanocrystals and Close-Packed Nanocrystal Assemblies

Detection of chemical and biological agents plays a fundamental role in biomedical, forensic and environmental sciences1–4 as well as in anti bioterrorism applications.5–7 The development of highly sensitive, cost effective, miniature sensors is therefore in high demand which requires advanced technology coupled with fundamental knowledge in chemistry, biology and material sciences.8–13

In general, sensors feature two functional components: a recognition element to provide selective/specific binding with the target analytes and a transducer component for signaling the binding event. An efficient sensor relies heavily on these two essential components for the recognition process in terms of response time, signal to noise (S/N) ratio, selectivity and limits of detection (LOD).14,15 Therefore, designing sensors with higher efficacy depends on the development of novel materials to improve both the recognition and transduction processes. Nanomaterials feature unique physicochemical properties that can be of great utility in creating new recognition and transduction processes for chemical and biological sensors15–27 as well as improving the S/N ratio by miniaturization of the sensor elements.28

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) possess distinct physical and chemical attributes that make them excellent scaffolds for the fabrication of novel chemical and biological sensors (Figure 1).29–36 First, AuNPs can be synthesized in a straightforward manner and can be made highly stable. Second, they possess unique optoelectronic properties. Third, they provide high surface-to-volume ratio with excellent biocompatibility using appropriate ligands.30 Fourth, these properties of AuNPs can be readily tuned varying their size, shape and the surrounding chemical environment. For example, the binding event between recognition element and the analyte can alter physicochemical properties of transducer AuNPs, such as plasmon resonance absorption, conductivity, redox behavior, etc. that in turn can generate a detectable response signal. Finally, AuNPs offer a suitable platform for multi-functionalization with a wide range of organic or biological ligands for the selective binding and detection of small molecules and biological targets.30–32,36 Each of these attributes of AuNPs has allowed researchers to develop novel sensing strategies with improved sensitivity, stability and selectivity. In the last decade of research, the advent of AuNP as a sensory element provided us a broad spectrum of innovative approaches for the detection of metal ions, small molecules, proteins, nucleic acids, malignant cells, etc. in a rapid and efficient manner.37



Figure 1

Physical properties of AuNPs and schematic illustration of an AuNP-based detection system.



In this current review, we have highlighted the several synthetic routes and properties of AuNPs that make them excellent probes for different sensing strategies. Furthermore, we will discuss various sensing strategies and major advances in the last two decades of research utilizing AuNPs in the detection of variety of target analytes including metal ions, organic molecules, proteins, nucleic acids, and microorganisms.

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Gold nanoparticles in chemical and biological sensing.

We have observed visible light emission from nanosize gold clusters. Liquid chromatographic analysis of the metal clusters shows that relatively intense photoluminescence occurs only when the size of the metal nanocluster is sufficiently small (<5 nm). The emission is strongly Stokes shifted and is assigned to radiative recombination of Fermi level electrons and sp- or d-band holes. The electron and/or hole states are perturbed by surface states, as indicated by the dependence of the emission spectrum on the nature of the cluster surface. Finally, we found that large, nonemitting gold clusters can also be made luminescent by partial dissolution using KCN.

Photoluminescence from nanosize gold clusters

The photophysics and electron transfer (ET) dynamics of quantum confined MoS2 nanoclusters have been studied using static and time resolved emission spectroscopy. The MoS2 nanoclusters consist of a single S–Mo–S trilayer, having diameters of ∼2.5 or 4.5 nm. Two types of electron acceptors are adsorbed on these nanoclusters: 2,2′‐bipyridine (bpy) and 4,4′,5,5′‐tetramethyl‐2,2′‐bipyridine (TMB). The ET reaction exothermicities may be varied by changing the electron acceptor or by varying the size of the MoS2 nanocluster. TMB is harder to reduce, and thus has a smaller ET driving force than bpy. The smaller nanoclusters have a higher energy conduction band, and thus have a larger ET driving force. In all cases, the ET driving force may be calculated from bulk MoS2 properties and quantum confinement theory. Both ‘‘normal’’ and ‘‘inverted’’ behaviors are observed. A reorganization energy of 0.40 eV is calculated from energy dependent ET rates.

Electron transfer dynamics in MoS2 nanoclusters: Normal and inverted behavior

The trap-to-trap relaxation and recombination dynamics of photogenerated electron/hole pairs in MoS2 nanoclusters have been studied. Static and time-resolved emission experiments have been performed on 3.0 and 4.5 nm diameter nanoclusters in ternary inverse micelles, acetonitrile, and octane at room temperature and at 20 K. The results indicate that, following synthesis in ternary inverse micelles, the nanoclusters have both shallow and deep traps. The deep traps are retained upon extraction into acetonitrile and passivated upon charge neutralization and reextraction into octane. The emission kinetics show that trap-to-trap relaxation is fast (<40 ps) at room temperature and slows (∼200 ps) at 20 K. A distributed kinetics model is presented that quantitatively describes electron/hole recombination. The trapped electron Bohr radius is found to be 2.0−2.5 nm in all cases. Charge neutralization and reextraction into octane passivates both the deep and the shallow traps on some nanoclusters, resulting in indi...

Trap State Dynamics in MoS2 Nanoclusters

Described is a method for preparation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with medium to low-site density growth for use in field emission devices (FEDs). The method involves the deposition of a non-catalytic metal layer (interlayer), preferably a metallic conductor, onto the surface of a substrate, prior to the deposition of a catalytic layer (overlayer). The interlayer allows for only partial (sparse) growth of CNTs on the substrate, and helps to prevent resist layer “lift-off” when photolithographic processing is employed.

Method for controlled density growth of carbon nanotubes

The synthesis and characterization of PtS2 nanoclusters synthesized in AOT/hexanol/heptane inverse micelles are reported. Electron diffraction and optical spectroscopy have been used to characteriz...

Farzad Parsapour

Papers

Photoluminescence from nanosize gold clusters

Electron transfer dynamics in MoS2 nanoclusters: Normal and inverted behavior

Trap State Dynamics in MoS2 Nanoclusters

Method for controlled density growth of carbon nanotubes

Spectroscopy of Eu3+-Doped PtS2 Nanoclusters