Seed-Mediated Growth of Gold Nanorods Directly on Surfaces: Growth Mechanism, Functionalization, and Electronic Properties

路易斯维尔大学的Francis P. Zamborini教授在化学系分析和表面化学项目的支持下，对化学种子直接在表面上介导一维金纳米棒的生长进行了研究。目标是更好地了解生长机制，以便使用简单的湿化学方法在表面上合成和组装具有高度控制尺寸和形状的高产量金纳米棒。通过显微方法直接监测金纳米粒子种子向金纳米棒的演变过程，并研究电势对一维结构生长的影响。研究了初始种子结构在种子介导生长过程中的作用，以及还原剂和表面活性剂用量对纳米结构大小和形状的影响。最后，单个金纳米棒将通过原子力显微镜尖端在电极间隙中进行操作，以研究其尺寸、形状和功能化对其电子特性的影响。这项研究将有助于更好地理解如何控制化学和电化学合成的一维纳米结构的尺寸和形状，以用于小型化电子器件。一维金属纳米棒在纳米电子学、化学传感、光谱增强和表面等离子体波导等方面具有潜在的应用前景。纳米技术也将被纳入本科课程，让学生在职业生涯的早期阶段就接触到这一领域，本科生将参与这项研究的各个方面。

Professor Francis P. Zamborini of the University of Louisville is supported by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program in the Division of Chemistry to conduct research on the chemical seed-mediated growth of one-dimensional gold nanorods directly on surfaces. The goal is to gain a better understanding of the growth mechanism so that high yields of gold nanorods with highly controlled size and shape can be synthesized and assembled on surfaces using simple wet chemical methods. The evolution of gold nanoparticle seeds into gold nanorods will be directly monitored by microscopic methods, and the effect of electrical potential on the growth of one-dimensional structures will be studied. The role of the initial seed structure in the seed-mediated growth process and the effect of the amount of reducing agent and surfactant on the size and shape of the nanostructures will be investigated. Finally individual gold nanorods will be manipulated across electrode gaps with an atomic force microscopy tip in order to study the effect of their size, shape, and functionalization on their electronic properties. This research will lead to a better understanding of how to control the size and shape of chemically and electrochemically synthesized one-dimensional nanostructures to be used in miniaturized electronic devices. One-dimensional metal nanorods have potential applications in nanoelectronics, chemical sensing, spectroscopy enhancement, and as surface plasmon waveguides. Nanotechnology will also be incorporated into the undergraduate curriculum to expose students to this field at an early stage of their career, and undergraduate students will participate in all aspects of this research.