Silver-based plasmonic nanoparticles and their application as biosensor

Abstract

The silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) exhibit unique and tunable plasmonic properties. The size and shape of these particles can manipulate their localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) property and their response to the local environment. The LSPR property of nanoparticles is exploited by their optical, chemical and biological sensing. This is an interdisciplinary area which involves chemistry, biology and materials science. In this paper, a polymer system is used with the optimization technique by blending of two polymers. The two polymer composites polystyrene/poly (4-vinylpyridine) (PS/P4VP) (50:50) & (75:25) were used as found suitable by their previous morphological studies. The results of 50, 95 & 50, 150 nm thickness of silver nano particles deposited on (PS/P4VP) (50:50) & (75:25) were explored to observe their optical sensitivity. The nature of polymer composite embedded with silver nanoparticles affects size of nanoparticle and its distribution in the matrixs. The used polymer composites are found to have uniform distribution of nano particles of various sizes. The optical properties of Ag-nanoparticles embedded in suitable polymer composite for the development of the latest plasmonic applications, owing to its unique properties were explored. The sensing capability of a particular polymer composite is found to depend on the size of nanoparticle embedded into it. The optimum result has been found for silver nano particles of 150 nm thickness deposited on PS/P4VP (75:25).