Aluminum Nanocubes Have Sharp Corners

Benjamin D. Clark, Christian R. Jacobson, Minhan Lou, David Renard, Gang Wu, Luca Bursi, Arzeena S. Ali, Dayne F. Swearer, Ah Lim Tsai, Peter Nordlander, Naomi J. Halas*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

56 Scopus citations

Abstract

Of the many plasmonic nanoparticle geometries that have been synthesized, nanocubes have been of particular interest for creating nanocavities, facilitating plasmon coupling, and enhancing phenomena dependent upon local electromagnetic fields. Here we report the straightforward colloidal synthesis of single-crystalline {100} terminated Al nanocubes by decomposing AlH3 with Tebbe's reagent in tetrahydrofuran. The size and shape of the Al nanocubes is controlled by the reaction time and the ratio of AlH3 to Tebbe's reagent, which, together with reaction temperature, establish kinetic control over Al nanocube growth. Al nanocubes possess strong localized field enhancements at their sharp corners and resonances highly amenable to coupling with metallic substrates. Their native oxide surface renders them extremely air stable. Chemically synthesized Al nanocubes provide an earth-abundant alternative to noble metal nanocubes for plasmonics and nanophotonics applications.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)9682-9691
Number of pages10
JournalACS nano
Volume13
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 27 2019
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • field-enhancement
  • nanotechnology
  • plasmonics
  • shape control
  • {100} faceted

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Materials Science(all)
  • Engineering(all)
  • Physics and Astronomy(all)

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