Exploiting plasmonic effects of metal nanostructures on single graphene sheets for the study of chemical functionalization and sensing

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Plasmonic effects in metal nanostructures show promise for chemical and biological sensing due to their high interfacial sensitivity to binding kinetics and growth phenomena. Suface plasmon resonances (SPR) at thin metal films efficiently transduce binding processes at surfaces into sensitive variations in the absorption characteristics. Local surface plasmons (LSPR) at metal nanoparticles provide a simple way to sense changes in dielectric constant of their local environment. The use of graphene in combination with such plasmonic structures extends the spectrum of possibilities in the context of sensing applications. This proposal aims to explore hybrids of graphene-metal nanostructures systematically with two specific goals in mind. First, the high interfacial sensitivity of SPR will be exploited to study the growth kinetics of functional layers on graphene in real time by electrochemical modification. In the same framework, the capability to modulate the interfacial sensitivity by an applied potential will be investigated. Secondly, the high photoresponsivity of graphene will be utilized in new architectures of graphene-metal-nanoparticle hybrids to evaluate their use as electrical detectors of LSPR of the nanoparticles in a fluidic environment. In all, the proposed activities will extend the capabilities of (L)SPR-based detection using graphene and open avenues for the design of routine chemical sensors and biosensors.