title: Growth and morphological analysis of segmented AuAg alloy nanowires created by pulsed electrodeposition in ion-track etched membranes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multicomponent heterostructure nanowires and nanogaps are of great interest for applications in sensorics. Pulsed electrodeposition in ion-track etched polymer templates is a suitable method to synthesise segmented nanowires with segments consisting of two different types of materials. For a well-controlled synthesis process, detailed analysis of the deposition parameters and the size-distribution of the segmented wires is crucial.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The fabrication of electrodeposited AuAg alloy nanowires and segmented Au-rich/Ag-rich/Au-rich nanowires with controlled composition and segment length in ion-track etched polymer templates was developed. Detailed analysis by cyclic voltammetry in ion-track membranes, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy was performed to determine the dependency between the chosen potential and the segment composition. Additionally, we have dissolved the middle Ag-rich segments in order to create small nanogaps with controlled gap sizes. Annealing of the created structures allows us to influence their morphology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AuAg alloy nanowires, segmented wires and nanogaps with controlled composition and size can be synthesised by electrodeposition in membranes, and are ideal model systems for investigation of surface plasmons.
authors.affiliation: Materials Research Department, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany.
authors.forename: Ina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schubert
authors.affiliation: Materials Research Department, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany ; Department of Materials- and Geo-Science, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany.
authors.forename: Loic
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Burr
authors.affiliation: Materials Research Department, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany ; Department of Materials- and Geo-Science, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trautmann
authors.affiliation: Materials Research Department, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany.
authors.forename: Maria Eugenia
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Toimil-Molares
keywords: AuAg alloy; cyclic voltammetry; electrodeposition; ion-track technology; nanogaps; segmented nanowires