Abstract
The intense plasmon absorption bands of gold nanorods (GNRs) with peak extinction coefficients up to 6.4×109 M−1 cm−1 as well as their expected high stability make GNRs promising candidates for the colouration of bulk materials. The comparison of the integrated absorption in the visible region of GNRs with those of commercial organic pigments shows that the colouring strength of GNRs is 4 to 8 times higher.
In order to improve their stability, GNRs were encapsulated in a silica shell of around 15 nm thickness using an optimized Stöber method. The silica surface was modified with octadecylsilane to enable their dispersion in non-polar media. Different plastics were successfully coloured with a tiny quantity of bare and functionalised GNRs@SiO2. These rods were homogeneously dispersed using extrusion. The shape of the rods was effectively stabilised by the silica shell at high temperature during the extrusion process. Surprisingly, a slight modification of the rods colour was observed due to a decrease of the refractive index in the mesoporous silica shell. However, this effect is greatly limited after the functionalisation.
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Title running head: GNRs@SiO2 based pigment
Cyrille Gautier is a R&D chemist at Metalor Technologies in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. He has obtained his PhD degree at Neuchâtel University in the Surface Spectroscopy and Nanoscience Laboratory. His research activities include the production, the characterization and the applications of nanomaterials based on noble metals.
Alastair Cunningham is a PhD student at the University of Heidelberg working on novel means of functionalising and organising gold nanorods. Previously, he completed a Masters in Micro and Nanotechnology at the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland and obtained an MSc in Chemistry from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.
Lynda Si-Ahmed, PhD, is the Nanotech manager at Metalor Technologies SA in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. The Nanotech Unit is dedicated to the development and manufacturing of Precious Metal Nanoparticles.
Gilles Robert, PhD, is the manager of the Technology Product Department at Metalor Technologies SA in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. The Technology Product Department is dedicated to the development and market introduction of innovations based on Metalor core competences in metallurgy and inorganic chemistry of precious metals.
Thomas Bürgi obtained his PhD degree from the University of Bern, Switzerland. After a postdoc at MIT he made his habilitation thesis at ETH Zurich. In 2003 he moved to the University of Neuchâtel as a Professor of Physical Chemistry funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. In 2008 he was appointed as a professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Heidelberg. He is working in the fields of in situ spectroscopy of solid — liquid interfaces, photocatalysis and the preparation, characterization and application of nanomaterials.
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Gautier, C., Cunningham, A., Si-Ahmed, L. et al. Pigments based on silica-coated gold nanorods: Synthesis, colouring strength, functionalisation, extrusion, thermal stability and colour evolution. Gold Bull 43, 94–104 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03214974
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03214974