title: Structural and morphological peculiarities of hybrid Au/nanodiamond engineered nanostructures.
abstract: Nanostructured Au nano-platelets have been synthesized from an Au(III) complex by growth process triggered by nanodiamond (ND). An electroless synthetic route has been used to obtain 2D Au/ND architectures, where individual nanodiamond particles are intimately embedded into face-centered cubic Au platelets. The combined use of high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED), was able to reveal the unusual organization of these hybrid nanoparticles, ascertaining the existence of preferential crystallographic orientations for both nanocrystalline species and highlighting their mutual locations. Detailed information on the sample microstructure have been gathered by fast Fourier transform (FFT) and inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) of HR-TEM images, allowing us to figure out the role of Au defects, able to anchor ND crystallites and to provide specific sites for heteroepitaxial Au growth. Aggregates constituted by coupled ND and Au, represent interesting systems conjugating the best optoelectronics and plasmonics properties of the two different materials. In order to promote realistically the applications of such outstanding Au/ND materials, the cooperative mechanisms at the basis of material synthesis and their influence on the details of the hybrid nanostructures have to be deeply understood.
authors: Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Antonio Scarpa 16, 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Matassa
authors: Department of Chemical Science and Technology-MINIMAlab, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy.
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Orlanducci
authors: Department of Chemical Science and Technology-MINIMAlab, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy.
authors: Giacomo
authors: G
authors: Reina
authors: Department of Industrial Chemistry 'Toso Montanari', University of Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 4, 40136 Bologna, Italy.
authors: Maria Cristina
authors: MC
authors: Cassani
authors: Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Antonio Scarpa 16, 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors: Daniele
authors: D
authors: Passeri
authors: Department of Chemical Science and Technology-MINIMAlab, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy.
authors: Maria Letizia
authors: ML
authors: Terranova
authors: Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Antonio Scarpa 16, 00161 Rome, Italy.|Center for Nanotechnology for Engineering (CNIS), Sapienza University of Rome, P. le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Rossi