(440e) Precise Control over the Morphology and Dopant Distribution in Colloidal Metal Oxide Nanocrystals

Colloidal synthesis of doped metal oxide nanocrystals provides a great opportunity and easy route to generate materials that has unique optoelectronic properties with promising applications such as smart windows, displays, sensing and photo-catalysis etc. By introducing the free carriers with different type of dopants (n- or p-type) in the metal oxide nanocrystals, their surface plasmon resonance can be tuned precisely from near IR to mid-IR range. Similarly like metals, the optical response of plasmonic metal oxide nanocrystals can be manipulated by controlling the shape, size of the nanocrystal and free electron concentration. The effect of nanocrystal shape and size on the enhancement of their local electrical field strength and surface plasmon resonance have paved the way for new technologies and better sensing opportunities. The sharp faceted nanocrystals exhibit enhanced electric fields at corners and edges, which give us an opportunity to explore different morphologies of the NC for sensing application. Here, we will be presenting a solution route to synthesize plasmonic metal oxide nanocrystal (doped Indium Oxide) with defined shape, size and radial distribution of dopant in the nanocrystals. Also, with co-doping (cation, anion or both) in these nanocrystals, we can shift the surface plasmon resonance to higher energies and can also influence the shape of the nanocrystals. Further, we will present near field enhancement property of single nanocrystals via EELS mapping and quantify both near field and far field plasmon property via COMSOL electromagnetic simulations.