Gold nanomaterials display interesting nanoplasmonic features with potential application in various fields depending on the size and shape of the metal nanoparticle (NP). Au bipyramids (AuBPs) exhibit intense and well-defined plasmon resonance, easily tunable with the aspect ratio and synergy between Au NPs and chromophores can enhance the photophysical properties of nearby molecules. In Rose Bengal (RB)-NPs systems for the production of singlet oxygen (
1O
2), it is now well established that the control of the dye-to-NP distance ranging from 10 to 20 nm is crucial to achieve the proper coupling between plasmon resonance and the dye
[1]. We have developed AuBPs@mesoporous SiO
2 core-shell nanostructures to control the distance between metallic surface and photosensitizers in order to increase the production of
1O
2 through metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF). An enhancement of
1O
2 generation has been shown with the obtained anisotropic AuBPs and AuBPs@mSiO
2 in presence of RB using different methods of
1O
2 quantification. They are of interest to the application in photooxygenation reactions
e.g. α-terpinene to ascaridole, an
anthelmintic drug.
Reference
1. H.H. Lin, I.C. Chen, J. Phys. Chem. C. 119 (2015) 26663â26671.
