Growth-Based Analyte and Bioanalyte Sensing Applications Using Noble Metal Nanoparticles: Effect of Nanoparticle Growth on the Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Signal

Noble metal (gold and silver) nanoparticles have found a range of applications as sensors and biosensors. These applications utilize the nanoparticles’ tunable optical properties within the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which originate from localized surface plasmon resonance. Recent applications have focused on analyte and bioanalyte detection through nanoparticle growth while successfully achieving low detection limits. This review focuses on theoretical and empirical models used to quantify and/or optimize the localized surface plasmon resonance response to nanoparticle growth, with representative examples from the literature. The effect of nanoparticle growth on the localized surface plasmon resonance signal in monometallic nanoparticles, bimetallic core-shell nanoparticles, and monometallic nanoshells will be discussed, including spherical, spheroidal and non-spheroidal nanoparticle shapes.