Office of Research, UC Riverside
Yadong Yin
Professor of Chemistry
Chemistry Dept
yadongy@ucr.edu
(951) 827-4965


Magnetically Actuated Active Tuning of Plasmonic Nanostructures

AWARD NUMBER
006420-003
FUND NUMBER
21193
STATUS
Closed
AWARD TYPE
3-Grant
AWARD EXECUTION DATE
6/21/2014
BEGIN DATE
9/15/2013
END DATE
8/31/2016
AWARD AMOUNT
$130,000

Sponsor Information

SPONSOR AWARD NUMBER
CHE-1308587
SPONSOR
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
SPONSOR TYPE
Federal
FUNCTION
Organized Research
PROGRAM NAME

Proposal Information

PROPOSAL NUMBER
13040336
PROPOSAL TYPE
New
ACTIVITY TYPE
Basic Research

PI Information

PI
Yin, Yadong
PI TITLE
Other
PI DEPTARTMENT
Chemistry
PI COLLEGE/SCHOOL
College of Nat & Agr Sciences
CO PIs

Project Information

ABSTRACT

In this project, funded by the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Prof. Yadong Yin of the University of California, Riverside, and his students incorporate magnetic actuation into noble metal nanostructures to achieve active tuning of plasmonic properties. A long-term goal of this research is the development of novel hybrid optical nanostructures with many technological applications in data storage, photonic devices, and chemical and biomedical sensors. The team studies two types of magnetic responsive plasmonic nanostructures: one involves magnetically induced assembly and disassembly of plasmonic nanoparticles and the other utilizes magnetic alignment of anisotropic noble metal nanostructures to achieve active tuning of the plasmonic properties. To enable reversible tuning of the plasmonic property, the surfaces of these metal nanoparticles are engineered to produce sufficiently repulsive interactions that can balance the magnetically induced attractive force and prevent permanent aggregation. New synthetic methods are developed to create many complex hybrid materials that are integrated with both magnetic and plasmonic properties, providing very useful tools for studying and controlling the plasmonic properties through the movement, rotation, and assembly of the metal nanoparticles.

The resulting hybrid materials find great use in practical applications that may have very positive impacts on our society, including novel visual displays, optical sensors, anticounterfeiting devices, therapeutic agents for tumors, targeted drug delivery, and many enhanced sensing and imaging devices. The project also targets expanding research-based learning at UCR and in the wider community by engaging high school, undergraduate, and graduate students in research. Undergraduate students are attracted to the research program through regular academic and summer internship programs, student clubs and organizations, and collaborative programs with local small liberal arts colleges. Undergraduate and graduate students are provided with opportunities to present their discoveries in national meetings and other public settings. Students are also encouraged to report their research activities and findings in the form of video presentations that can be shared with their classmates, friends, family members, and others on their social networks, thus disseminating research outcomes from the laboratory to the general public. Prof. Yin is also deeply involved in science fair competition in order to promote high school students' interests in science and engineering.
(Abstract from NSF)