Gold Nanoparticle Supercrystal Chemical Sensors

Self-assembling gold nanoparticle supercrystals with superior chemical detection sensitivity, sub-millimeter size, and tunable structural features for optics, electronics, and sensor platforms

Metallic nanoparticles such as gold and silver can self-assemble and crystallize into highly ordered arrays known as supercrystals. Highly ordered single supercrystals have great potential in areas such has optics, electronics, and sensor platforms; however, obtaining high-quality supercrystals for production scale usage and device integration has been a limitation in their wide-scale adoption.

Sandia researchers have synthesized gold nanoparticles into large supercrystals with chemical detection sensitivity nine times higher than existing nanoparticle technologies. This development has potential for useful applications in the chemical detection of drugs or explosives as well as integrations in optics and electronic devices.