Optical Properties of Plasmonic Nanoparticles Polymer Nanocomposites

Plasmonic nanoparticles–polymer nanocomposites are used in functional optical materials and devices where light management is essential. However to modulate the optical properties of these nanocomposites, control over the orientation and spatial distribution of the nanoparticles within polymer matrix is very critical. Here we synthesized two-dimensional (2D) Ag nanoplates (AgNPs) with plasmon resonance across the visible and near infrared (NIR) light range via a multi-step approach. Layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly was utilized to control the orientation and density of the AgNPs in the nanocomposite films. The composite thin-films effectively controlled the light transmittance and reflectance across the visible and NIR range. In contrast to the conventional polymer nanocomposites in which the polymer grafted nanoparticles were randomly mixed within the matrix, the thin-film polymer nanocomposites comprise a single layer (~10 nm), or any desired multiple layers, of planarly oriented plasmonic AgNPs separated by a polymer with tunable interlayer thickness. The plasmonic composites filter light selectively and will have enormous effect on energy-efficient tinted glass.