Magnetically Actuated Active Tuning of Plasmonic Nanostructures

在这个由化学系大分子、超分子和纳米化学项目资助的项目中，加州大学滨江分校的尹亚东教授和他的学生将磁致动纳入贵金属纳米结构中，以实现等离子体特性的主动调谐。 这项研究的长期目标是开发新型混合光学纳米结构，在数据存储，光子器件以及化学和生物医学传感器中具有许多技术应用。 该团队研究了两种类型的磁响应等离子体纳米结构：一种涉及等离子体纳米颗粒的磁诱导组装和拆卸，另一种利用各向异性贵金属纳米结构的磁性对齐来实现等离子体特性的主动调节。 为了实现等离子体特性的可逆调谐，这些金属纳米颗粒的表面被设计为产生足够的排斥相互作用，其可以平衡磁感应吸引力并防止永久聚集。 新的合成方法被开发出来，可以制备出许多具有磁性和等离子体性质的复杂杂化材料，为通过金属纳米颗粒的运动、旋转和组装来研究和控制等离子体性质提供了非常有用的工具。由此产生的杂化材料在实际应用中有很大的用途，可能会对我们的社会产生非常积极的影响，包括新型的视觉显示器、光学传感器、防伪装置、肿瘤治疗剂、靶向药物递送以及许多增强的传感和成像装置。 该项目还旨在通过让高中，本科和研究生参与研究来扩大UCR和更广泛社区的研究性学习。 本科生通过定期的学术和暑期实习计划，学生俱乐部和组织以及与当地小型文理学院的合作计划被吸引到研究计划中。 本科生和研究生有机会在国家会议和其他公共场合展示他们的发现。 我们也鼓励学生报告他们的研究活动和发现，在视频演示的形式，可以与他们的同学，朋友，家人，和其他人在他们的社交网络上分享，从而传播研究成果从实验室向公众。 殷教授还深入参与科学公平竞争，以促进高中生对科学和工程的兴趣。

In this project, funded by the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Prof. Yadong Yin of the University of California, Riverside, and his students incorporate magnetic actuation into noble metal nanostructures to achieve active tuning of plasmonic properties. A long-term goal of this research is the development of novel hybrid optical nanostructures with many technological applications in data storage, photonic devices, and chemical and biomedical sensors. The team studies two types of magnetic responsive plasmonic nanostructures: one involves magnetically induced assembly and disassembly of plasmonic nanoparticles and the other utilizes magnetic alignment of anisotropic noble metal nanostructures to achieve active tuning of the plasmonic properties. To enable reversible tuning of the plasmonic property, the surfaces of these metal nanoparticles are engineered to produce sufficiently repulsive interactions that can balance the magnetically induced attractive force and prevent permanent aggregation. New synthetic methods are developed to create many complex hybrid materials that are integrated with both magnetic and plasmonic properties, providing very useful tools for studying and controlling the plasmonic properties through the movement, rotation, and assembly of the metal nanoparticles.The resulting hybrid materials find great use in practical applications that may have very positive impacts on our society, including novel visual displays, optical sensors, anticounterfeiting devices, therapeutic agents for tumors, targeted drug delivery, and many enhanced sensing and imaging devices. The project also targets expanding research-based learning at UCR and in the wider community by engaging high school, undergraduate, and graduate students in research. Undergraduate students are attracted to the research program through regular academic and summer internship programs, student clubs and organizations, and collaborative programs with local small liberal arts colleges. Undergraduate and graduate students are provided with opportunities to present their discoveries in national meetings and other public settings. Students are also encouraged to report their research activities and findings in the form of video presentations that can be shared with their classmates, friends, family members, and others on their social networks, thus disseminating research outcomes from the laboratory to the general public. Prof. Yin is also deeply involved in science fair competition in order to promote high school students' interests in science and engineering.