Plasmonic Ag@Cu2O core-shell nanostructures exhibiting near-infrared photothermal effect

This work was devoted to the investigation of the optical properties, structural characterization, and photothermal conversion performance of Ag@Cu2O nanostructures. The selection of anisotropic silver core, specifically Ag nanocubes, was driven by the possibility to tune LSPR across a broader range of the electromagnetic spectrum. The thickness of the Cu2O shell was intentionally changed through the variation in the Cu salt to the metal core nanoparticles ratios. The LSPRs of Ag(nanocube)@Cu2O core-shell nanoparticles can be fine-tuned to the spectral region to become resonant with the excitation wavelengths of 808 nm NIR laser. Due to the high refractive index of the deposited Cu2O, the redshifts of the plasmon band wavelength in the extinction spectra were observed. Consequently, the photothermal activities of the Ag(nanocube)@Cu2O core-shell NPs have been controlled by the shell thickness at the nanoscale. Ag@Cu2O nanoparticles with thickest shell (similar to 70 nm) exhibit the most efficient NIR photothermal effect under the irradiation of 808 nm laser at ambient conditions. Results of this work demonstrate that Ag@Cu2O hetero-nanostructures may be optimized and used for the efficient transformation of light into other forms of energy, specifically heat.