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Honors Theses

University of Richmond

Nanostructured materials

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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Optical Properties Of Multilayer-Polyelectrolyte Films With Incorporated Gold Nanomaterials (Solid Nanoparticles And Hollow Nanoshells), Robert Watson Day Apr 2009

Optical Properties Of Multilayer-Polyelectrolyte Films With Incorporated Gold Nanomaterials (Solid Nanoparticles And Hollow Nanoshells), Robert Watson Day

Honors Theses

The growth of various multilayer‐polymer multilayer‐nanoparticle films was successfully achieved. Multilayer‐polymer multilayer‐nanoparticle films with 1, 3, and 5 polymer layers between nanoparticle layers exhibit significantly different optical properties due to the differences in magnitude of particle plasmon coupling. These film systems were also successfully extended to hollow gold nanoshells, which have significantly enhanced optical properties in comparison to solid gold nanoparticles of similar sizes. A proposal for utilizing this increased sensitivity of the gold nanoshells to explore the ‘microenvironments’ for optimizing potential sensing applications is also presented.


Polyelectrolyte-Linked, Multi-Layer Film Assemblies Of Aqueous Nanoparticles And Nanoshells, Anne Galyean Jan 2009

Polyelectrolyte-Linked, Multi-Layer Film Assemblies Of Aqueous Nanoparticles And Nanoshells, Anne Galyean

Honors Theses

Multi-layer films of nanoparticles and nanoshells featuring various polymeric linkage molecules have been assembled and their optical properties characterized. The growth dynamics, including molecular weight effects, and stability of the various nanoparticle film constructions, using both single polymer as well as combinations of alternating charge polyelectrolytes as linking mechanisms, are presented. The polymeric linkers studied include poly-L-lysine, poly-L-arginine, poly(allylamine hydrochloride), and polyamidoamine dendrimers. Significantly air stable films were achieved with the use of multi-layered polymeric bridges between the nanoparticles and nanoshells. Optical sensitivity normally observed with these nanomaterials in solution was observed for their corresponding film geometries, with the nanoshell …