Market Study for the production of ultrastable plasmonic Cu nanoparticles enabled by core-shell strategy

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With unique surface plasmon resonance (SPR), plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) are offering new ways to address many pressing issues in energy and environment sectors. Only three metals, Au, Ag and Cu, can have their SPR tuned in the visible and near infrared ranges. As compared to noble metals of Au and Ag, the synthesis, SPR properties and applications of Cu-based plasmonic nanostructures have received significantly less attention. It is largely due to the easy oxidation of Cu. Nevertheless, Cu is earth abundant and much cheaper, so in the long term it is more sustainable and attractive than its Au and Ag counterparts. Moreover, in addition to plasmon-related applications, such as bioimaging, surface-enhanced Raman scattering, sensing, photovoltaics and photocatalysis, Cu nanoparticles are also highly attractive for many other applications, such as the catalytic synthesis of methanol and printed electronics. To promote the real-world applications of Cu NPs, it is of paramount importance to obtain largely increased chemical stability by controlling NP structural parameters. Researchers at INRS have recently produced ultrastable plasmonic Cu NPs, which are isolated from their environments by a thin, robust Au shell synthesized via a galvanic replacement method. The ultrathin yet complete crystalline Au shell effectively inhibits the leaching of Cu even in strong oxidizing HNO3 solution, the first demonstration of this level of chemical stability, to the best of our knowledge. Furthermore, these core-shell NPs show high photothermal efficiency and chemical stability in real harsh environments for solar energy conversion. In stark contrast, the core-only Cu NPs can be easily and completely dissolved even by just saturated CO2 solution. This work may largely facilitate and expand the commercial applications of Cu NPs. This I2I market study will help us assess the market potential of the developed technology for Cu NPs production.