title: Structural and optical properties of self-assembled chains of plasmonic nanocubes.
abstract: Solution-based linear self-assembly of metal nanoparticles offers a powerful strategy for creating plasmonic polymers, which, so far, have been formed from spherical nanoparticles and cylindrical nanorods. Here we report linear solution-based self-assembly of metal nanocubes (NCs), examine the structural characteristics of the NC chains, and demonstrate their advanced optical characteristics. In comparison with chains of nanospheres with similar dimensions, composition, and surface chemistry, predominant face-to-face assembly of large NCs coated with short polymer ligands led to a larger volume of hot spots in the chains, a nearly uniform E-field enhancement in the gaps between colinear NCs, and a new coupling mode for NC chains due to the formation of a Fabry-Perot resonator structure formed by face-to-face bonded NCs. The NC chains exhibited stronger surface-enhanced Raman scattering in comparison with linear assemblies of nanospheres. The experimental results were in agreement with finite difference time domain simulations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto , 80 Saint George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Klinkova
authors.forename: Héloïse
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thérien-Aubin
authors.forename: Aftab
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Dmytro
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nykypanchuk
authors.forename: Rachelle M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Choueiri
authors.forename: Brandon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gagnon
authors.forename: Anastasiya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muntyanu
authors.forename: Oleg
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gang
authors.forename: Gilbert C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kumacheva
keywords: Nanoparticle; SERS; nanocube; nanoparticle chain; nanosphere; plasmonics; self-assembly