Virus-templated plasmonic nanoclusters with icosahedral symmetry via directed self-assembly.

ABSTRACT: The assembly of plasmonic nanoparticles with precise spatial and orientational order may lead to structures with new electromagnetic properties at optical frequencies. The directed self-assembly method presented controls the interparticle-spacing and symmetry of the resulting nanometer-sized elements in solution. The self-assembly of three-dimensional (3D), icosahedral plasmonic nanosclusters (NCs) with resonances at visible wavelengths is demonstrated experimentally. The ideal NCs consist of twelve gold (Au) nanospheres (NSs) attached to thiol groups at predefined locations on the surface of a genetically engineered cowpea mosaic virus with icosahedral symmetry. In situ dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements confirm the NSs assembly on the virus. Transmission electron micrographs (TE

SUBMITTER: Fontana J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4283761 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature