In situ "doping" inverse silica opals with size-controllable gold nanoparticles for refractive index sensing

Abstract

We report the fabrication of inverse SiO2 opals "doped" with gold (i-Au-SiO2-o) nanoparticles (NPs) via a co-self-assembly method combined with subsequent removal of polystyrene colloidal spheres by calcination. The resulting i-Au-SiO2-o films demonstrate long-range ordering with uniform distribution of ligand-free Au NPs. The size of Au NPs can be tuned from 6 to 30 nm by varying the calcination temperature. The as-prepared i-Au-SiO2-o films preserve both localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and Bragg diffraction peaks simultaneously. Both LSPR and Bragg diffraction peaks are sensitive to the refractive index changes of the surrounding medium - an important feature for sensing applications. The method provides a facile and versatile way to fabricate high-quality Au NP "doped" photonic crystals for applications in sensing and others. © 2013 American Chemical Society.