Optical properties of colloidal solutions of metal nanoparticles

Abstract

Nanoparticles are finding more practical applications in various fields of human activity, including veterinary and medicine. Due to the fact that the effectiveness of colloidal solutions of nanoparticles is directly related to their aggregate state, convenient methods for assessing the physicochemical characteristics of such preparations is of high priority. Nanoparticles have unique optical properties that depend on their size and shape. They can be determined by the refractive index of light on the surface of nanoparticles in a phenomenon known as plasmon resonance, which makes the UV-Vis spectroscopy a valuable tool for studying and evaluating the properties of nanomaterials. Optical characteristics of NPs colloidal solutions of noble metals (silver) or bioelements (copper, silicon dioxide) were determined at various wavelengths (nm): 300–800 nm. The surface plasmon resonance has been found in all test preparations, while all of them exhibited obvious nonlinear optical properties. The most pronounced plasmon resonance peak was found in the colloidal solution of silver NPs within a wavelength of 420 nm. In the case of a colloidal solution of copper NPs, the peak of plasmon resonance was less pronounced and had a red shift (peak at 560 nm). In the colloidal solution of silicon dioxide, the plasmon resonance was less pronounced than in other test preparations, being shifted to the blue side of the spectrum (360 nm). UV-Vis spectroscopy of metal NPs requires further studies to assess their stability and influence of various external factors on their activity.