Plastic Plasmonics

Research Project, 2016 – 2022

Nanoparticles supporting localized surface plasmon resonance provide an ideal toolkit for the realization of a wide range of fascinating novel technologies, including optical bio- and chemosensors, enhanced photovoltaic and photocatalytic devices and optical metamaterials. However, their large-scale practical implementation in real devices is still widely lacking due to inexistent flexible and scalable materials synthesis and processing routes for cheap device integration. In response to this challenge we will establish a new class of materials – Plastic Plasmonic Hybrids (PPH). They consist of wet-chemically synthesized plasmonic nanoparticle arrangements with tailored structural, optical and chemical properties, which are dispersed at the nanoscale in a polymer matrix for ease of processing into real devices by 3D printing or melt processing. At the same time, the polymer matrix can have other functions. Specifically, in the project we will develop and utilize it as selective membrane to prevent ageing/corrosion of the embedded nanoparticles and facilitate their selective interaction with desired molecular species in our targeted demonstrator application of PPHs: plug-and-play fiber optic sensors for hydrogen sensing and NO2 pollution monitoring in urban air. In this way this project strives to deliver the urgently needed breakthroughs for commercially viable functional plasmonic nanomaterials and their large scale processing into cheap devices.