Partial coverage metal nanoshells and method of making same
AssigneeWilliam Marsh Rice University
InventorsNancy J. Halas, Robert K. Bradley
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Abstract
Metal Nanoshells having partial coverage of a substrate or core particle and methods of making them are provided. A method of making a partial metal nanoshell preferably includes asymmetrically confining a substrate particle and selectively layering a metallic material over the substrate particle according to the asymmetry. Confining the substrate particle may include attaching it to a support defining an exposed portion and a contact portion. The method may include either chemically modifying the substrate particle. The solid angle of coverage of the partial metal nanoshell may be influenced by the nature of the chemical modification, such as alternatives of activating and passivating the exposed portion.
Claims45
A method for making an asymmetric composite nanoparticle, comprising:
- a) asymmetrically confining a substrate nanoparticle so as to define a first surface portion and a second surface portion;
- b) selectively layering a primary metallic material over one of the first surface portion and the second surface portion so as to form a partial metal shell comprising the primary metallic material.
A method for making an asymmetric composite nanoparticle, comprising:
- a) electrophoretically attaching a core nanoparticle to a metallized support such that the core nanoparticle has an exposed portion and a remaining portion;
- b) selectively attaching a plurality of activating agents to either the exposed portion or the remaining portion;
- c) depositing a plurality of metal colloids onto the activating agents;
- and
- d) reducing additional metal onto the metal colloids so as to form a partial metal shell.
A method for making a nonuniform composite nanoparticle, comprising:
- a) immobilizing a substrate nanoparticle against a surface defining a contact region and a corresponding exposed region;
- b) chemically modifying the exposed region;
- and
- c) selectively forming a partial metal layer over either the contact region or the exposed region as determined by the nature of the modification in step (b).
An asymmetric composite nanoparticle comprising:
- a substrate nanoparticle;
- and
- a partial metal shell layered on said substrate nanoparticle within a solid angle less that 360°.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.