Chiral Seeded Growth of Gold Nanorods Into Fourfold Twisted Nanoparticles with Plasmonic Optical Activity

Authors:
Top Cited Papers
Open Access
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A robust and reproducible methodology to prepare stable inorganic nanoparticles with chiral morphology may hold the key to the practical utilization of these materials. An optimized chiral growth method to prepare fourfold twisted gold nanorods is described herein, where the amino acid cysteine is used as a dissymmetry inducer. Four tilted ridges are found to develop on the surface of single‐crystal nanorods upon repeated reduction of HAuCl4, in the presence of cysteine as the chiral inducer and ascorbic acid as a reducing agent. From detailed electron microscopy analysis of the crystallographic structures, it is proposed that the dissymmetry results from the development of chiral facets in the form of protrusions (tilted ridges) on the initial nanorods, eventually leading to a twisted shape. The role of cysteine is attributed to assisting enantioselective facet evolution, which is supported by density functional theory simulations of the surface energies, modified upon adsorption of the chiral molecule. The development of R‐type and S‐type chiral structures (small facets, terraces, or kinks) would thus be non‐equal, removing the mirror symmetry of the Au NR and in turn resulting in a markedly chiral morphology with high plasmonic optical activity.
Funding Information
  • Agencia Estatal de Investigación (MDM‐2017‐0720)
  • Xunta de Galicia (ED431C 2020/09)
  • European Regional Development Fund
  • European Commission
  • H2020 European Research Council (815128)
  • Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (RTI2018‐101394‐B‐I00, MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 CEX2019‐000925‐S, PID2020‐117779RB‐I00, PID2020‐117371RA‐I00, PID2019‐108954RB‐I00, PID2021‐122516OB‐I00)
  • Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung
  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (GO 3526/1‐1, SFB1214B1)
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (21902148)
  • Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria, Xunta de Galicia (GRC ED431C 2020/09)
  • Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (CEX2019‐000925‐S)

This publication has 40 references indexed in Scilit: