Linking structure and optical properties of plasmonic nanoparticles on tunable spherical surfaces

TL;DR

This study reveals how the volume phase transition of microgels influences nanoparticle interactions and plasmon coupling on curved surfaces, combining experiments, simulations, and modeling to establish a microscopic understanding.

Contribution

It provides the first microscopic link between microgel phase transitions and nanoparticle optical properties on spherical surfaces.

Findings

Microgel volume phase transition controls nanoparticle interactions.

Nanoparticle arrangement affects plasmon coupling.

The study combines scattering, simulations, and models for insights.

Abstract

The complexation of plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) and thermoresponsive microgels is widely exploited for applications, but a microscopic description of the mechanisms governing the spatial organization of the NPs is still lacking. Combining small angle X-ray scattering, state-of-the-art simulations and a simple toy model, we uncover how the volume phase transition of microgels controls NP-NP interactions, establishing for the first time a microscopic link between plasmon coupling and NP local structure. Our study paves the way to experimentally investigate phase transitions on controlled curved surfaces at the nanoscale.