Silver nanoparticles (NPs) ranging in size from 40 to 100 nm were prepared in high yield by using an improved seed-mediated method. The homogeneous Ag NPs were used as building blocks for 2D assembled Ag NP arrays by using an oil/water interface. A close-packed 2D array of Ag NPs was fabricated by using packing molecules (3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane) to control the interparticle spacing. The homogeneous 2D Ag NP array exhibited a strong quadrupolar cooperative plasmon mode resonance and a dipolar red-shift relative to individual Ag NPs suspended in solution. A well-arranged 2D Ag NP array was embedded in polydimethylsiloxane film and, with biaxial stretching to control the interparticle distance, concomitant variations of the quadrupolar and dipolar couplings were observed. As the interparticle distance increased, the intensity of the quadrupolar cooperative plasmon mode resonance decreased and dipolar coupling completely disappeared. The local electric field of the 2D Ag NP array was calculated by using finite difference time domain simulation and qualitatively showed agreement with the experimental measurements.
Keywords: nanoparticles; optical properties; silver; surface chemistry; surface plasmon resonance.
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