An Ultra-broadband Metallic Plasmonic Antenna for Ultrasensitive Molecular Fingerprint Identification.

Near-field enhanced mid-infrared light-matter interactions via metallic plasmonic antennae (PA) have attracted much attention but are inevitably limited by the detuning between their narrow band and the broad applied spectral range. Here, we develop a new low-temperature incubation synthetic method to acquire uniform Ag microparticles (MPs) with numerous hotspots. Their plasmonic band is remarkably extended by the plasmonic coupling of numerous hotspots and covers the entire mid-infrared range (400-4000 cm-1). Hence, the almost complete molecular fingerprint of 4-mercaptobenzonitrile was successfully probed for the first time via resonant surface-enhanced infrared absorption (rSEIRA), and the rSEIRA spectra of different essential amino acids were further detected and exhibit a high spectral identification degree assisted by machine learning. This work changes the inertia perception of "narrow band and large size but small hotspot area" of mid-infrared metallic PA and paves the way for the ultrasensitive mid-infrared optical sensing.

Antielectric Potential Synthesis of Plasmonic Au-Ag Multidimensional Dimers Array for High-Resolution Encrypted Information.

Plasmonic superstructures hold great potential in encrypted information chips but are still unsatisfactory in terms of resolution and maneuverability because of the limited fabrication strategies. Here, we develop an antielectric potential method in which the interfacial energy from the modification of 5-amino-2-mercapto benzimidazole (AMBI) ligand is used to overcome the electric resistance between the Au nanospheres (NSs) and substrate, thereby realizing the in situ growth of a Au-Ag heterodimers array in large scale. The morphology, number, and size of Ag domains on Au units can be controlled well by modulating the reaction kinetics and thermodynamics. Experiments and theoretical simulations reveal that patterned 3D Au-2D Ag and 3D Au-3D Ag dimer arrays with line widths of 400 nm exhibit cerulean and cyan colors, respectively, and achieve fine color modulation and ultrahigh information resolution. This work not only develops a facile strategy for fabricating patterned plasmonic superstructures but also pushes the plasmon-based high-resolution encrypted information chip into more complex applications.

Rapid controllable synthesis of branched Au superparticles: formation mechanism of toggling the growth mode and their applications in optical broadband absorption.

We develop a tunable, ultrafast (5 seconds), and mass-producible seed-mediated synthesis method to prepare branched Au superparticles consisting of multiple small Au island-like nanoparticles by a wet chemical route. We reveal and confirm the toggling formation mechanism of Au superparticles between the Frank-van der Merwe (FM) growth mode and the Volmer-Weber (VW) growth mode. The key factor of this special structure is the frequent toggling between the FM (layer by layer) growth mode and the VW (island) growth mode induced by 3-aminophenol, which is continuously absorbed on the surface of newborn Au nanoparticles, leading to a relatively high surface energy during the overall synthesis process, thus achieving an island on island growth. Such Au superparticles demonstrate broadband absorption from visible to near-infrared regions due to their multiple plasmonic coupling and hence they have important applications in sensors, photothermal conversion and therapy, etc. We also exhibit the excellent properties of Au superparticles with different morphologies, such as NIR-II photothermal conversion and therapy and SERS detection. The photothermal conversion efficiency under 1064 nm laser irradiation was calculated to be as high as 62.6% and they exhibit robust photothermal therapy efficiency. This work provides insight into the growth mechanism of plasmonic superparticles and develops a broadband absorption material for highly efficient optical applications.

Correction: Ultra-fast synthesis of water soluble MoO3-x quantum dots with controlled oxygen vacancies and their near infrared fluorescence sensing to detect H2O2.

Correction for 'Ultra-fast synthesis of water soluble MoO3-x quantum dots with controlled oxygen vacancies and their near infrared fluorescence sensing to detect H2O2' by Shichuan Zhong et al., Nanoscale Horiz., 2020, 5, 1538-1543, DOI: 10.1039/D0NH00394H.

Ultra-fast synthesis of water soluble MoO3-x quantum dots with controlled oxygen vacancies and their near infrared fluorescence sensing to detect H2O2.

We report a facile method for the synthesis of water soluble MoO3-x quantum dots (QDs) at room temperature by injecting hydrochloric acid and mercaptosuccinic acid into ammonium molybdate solution within 5 seconds. The optical properties and oxygen vacancy concentration of the QDs could be well controlled by the competitive absorption of a carboxyl group and sulfhydryl group of the ligand with QDs by coordination interaction. The obtained QDs could be used as near infrared region (NIR) fluorescence probes to detect hydrogen peroxide with a low detection limit (3 nM).