Correlated structure-optical properties studies of plasmonic nanoparticles

Interest in nanotechnology is driven by unprecedented means to tailor the physical behaviour via structure and composition. Unlike bulk materials, minute changes in size and shape can affect the optical properties of nanoparticles. Characterization, understanding, and prediction of such structure-function relationships is crucial to the development of novel applications such as plasmonic sensors, devices, and drug delivery systems. Such knowledge has been recently vastly expanded through systematic, high throughput correlated measurements, where the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is probed optically and the particle shape investigated with electron microscopy. This paper will address some of the recent experimental advances in single particle studies that provide new insight not only on the effects of size, composition, and shape on plasmonic properties but also their interrelation. Plasmon resonance frequency and decay, substrate effects, size, shape, and composition will be explored for a variety of plasmonic systems.