Plasmonic Nanorod Assembly Techniques in Nanostructured Materials
Summary
Plasmonic nanorods are anisotropic metallic nanoparticles whose optical response arises from shape-dependent localized surface plasmon resonances. Through control of interparticle spacing, orientation and symmetry, assemblies of these nanorods exhibit collective optical properties that can be harnessed for sensing, imaging, photocatalysis and nanophotonic devices. Assembly strategies span bottom-up self-organisation—driven by ligand interactions, evaporation dynamics or electrostatic forces—to directed methods employing external fields, templating and sol–gel infiltration. Key challenges include achieving uniform, scalable arrays with tunable superlattice symmetry, preserving mechanical and chemical stability, and integrating active media for enhanced fluorescence or Raman response. Advances in multiscale modelling now guide the rational design of architectures with pre-engineered plasmonic hot spots, while emerging approaches aim to impart reconfigurability and dynamic function to nanorod superstructures.
Research from Nature Portfolio
Recent studies have demonstrated the use of hierarchical molecular and colloidal interactions to impose a governing force during ligand-mediated self-assembly, yielding a tetragonal superlattice of octagonal gold nanorods rather than the conventional hexagonal packing. Multiscale modelling revealed that this force dominates over isotropic colloidal attractions, stabilising the sparse tetragonal lattice and imparting enhanced thermostability compared with close-packed arrangements. This approach offers a general strategy to tailor superlattice symmetry and paves the way for diverse nanorod–based architectures with tunable optical and mechanical properties.
Plasmonic Nanorod Assembly Techniques in Nanostructured Materials publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in plasmonic nanorod assembly techniques in nanostructured materials across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Plasmonic nanorod: An elongated metallic nanoparticle that supports tunable collective electron oscillations when excited by light.
Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR): A resonant oscillation of conduction electrons confined to a nanoparticle that enhances local electromagnetic fields.
Superlattice: A periodic three-dimensional arrangement of nanoparticles forming an ordered crystal-like structure.
Hot spot: A nanoscale region in a plasmonic assembly where the electromagnetic field intensity is significantly amplified.
Self-assembly: A spontaneous organisation process in which components autonomously form ordered structures driven by molecular interactions.
References
- Symmetry control of nanorod superlattice driven by a governing force. Nature Communications (2017).
- Evaporation-induced self-assembly of gold nanorods on a hydrophobic substrate for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy applications. Frontiers in Materials (2023).
- Two-Photon-Excited Single-Molecule Fluorescence Enhanced by Gold Nanorod Dimers. Nano Letters (2022).
- Hierarchical organization and molecular diffusion in gold nanorod/silica supercrystal nanocomposites. Nanoscale (2016).
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