Microwave assisted diffusion of Au-nanoclusters in vitreous silica

• Published in: Journal of non-crystalline solids 2006-07, Vol.352 (23-25), p.2526-2531
• Main Authors: Menke, Y., Chiaretta, D., Milanese, D., Ferraris, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorption; Collective excitations (including excitons, polarons, plasmons and other charge-density excitations); Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Diffusion and transport; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Exact sciences and technology; Films and coatings; Glasses; Materials science; Microwave; Nanoclusters; Nanocomposites; Nanoparticles; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Optical microscopy; Optical properties; Optical spectroscopy; Other topics in nanoscale materials and structures; Physics; Silica; Surface and interface electron states; X-ray diffraction
• ISSN: 0022-3093; 1873-4812
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2006.01.094

Gold nanocluster composite glasses were prepared via the evaporation of a thin gold layer, followed by microwave-assisted diffusion. Increased diffusion using a microwave (MW) oven as compared to the traditional diffusion in a muffle furnace is observed and measured. The influence of diffusion temperature and time on diffusion depth and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption bands of the so-obtained gold nanocluster have been studied. The diffusion parameters have been shown to influence the size of the metal nanoclusters and hence, the position of the SPR absorption bands.