U.S.-France Cooperative Research: Dependence of Optical and Nonradiative Relaxation Properties of Copper Nanoparticles on Shape and Self-Assembly

Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

0129263 El-Sayed This two-year award for US-France collaboration in nanoparticle research involves researchers and students at Georgia Institute of Technology and the University Pierre and Marie Curie (Paris VI). The principal investigators, Mostafa El-Sayed in the US and Marie-Paule Pileni in France, lead the collaboration. The combined teams will examine radiative and nonradiative properties of individual and assembled copper nanoparticles of different sizes and shapes. Copper particles represent a new and interesting nanoparticle system. Their properties such as surface plasmon absorption, acoustic breathing, oscillations, electron-phonon and phonon-phonon relaxation processes will be studied. Changes in spherical and rod-shaped nanoparticles as a result of self-assembly and intraparticle interactions will be investigated. Experiments involve femtosecond transient laser spectroscopic methods and monodispersed size and shape distributions of nanoparticles. The collaboration merges different experimental methods and expertise. The US group is expert in ultrafast laser methods and spectroscopic experiments. This is complemented by French expertise in the synthesis of monodispersed nanoparticles, including copper nanodots and nanorods, and nanoparticle self-assembly. This collaboration advances understanding of the optical and mechanical properties of nanomaterials. Nanoparticle materials are important for new electronic devices, optical devices, and biological materials. Graduate students also benefit. They will receive training in advanced synthetic and self-assembly techniques. This award represents the US side of parallel proposals to the NSF and the CNRS. NSF will cover travel funds and living expenses for the US investigator, postdoctoral researcher and students. The CNRS will support visits by French researchers and students to the United States.