New composite materials containing noble metal nanoparticles are presently actively developed. In such composites drastic changes of the host media properties can take place on account of the plasmonic activity of the metal nanoparticles. Electric field of the excitation light is enhanced nearby metal nanoparticles at the plasmonic resonance wavelength. Such a local field with enhanced strength is used for the resonance amplification of light absorption, scattering, Raman scattering and fluorescence [1] or improving non-linear optical properties of materials [2].

    The aim of the present work is creation of a composite material with adjustable wavelength of plasmonic resonance based on metal oxides doped with silver nanoparticles.  The host oxides TiO­₂ and ZrO­₂ were prepared by sol-gel method. The chosen hosts possess two advantages: i) their permittivities are high enough for shifting resonance of silver nanoparticles to longer wave-lengths; ii) they allow by changing of porosity to provide an additional tuning of the resonance wavelengths. Silver nanoparticles in the form of colloidal solution (5-15 nm) or powder (30-50 nm) was used as a dopant. To get optically transparent in visible range material thermal treatment in air was needed. To recover plasmonic properties of silver after annealing, reduction of samples in the H₂:Ar atmosphere was performed. As a result, the silver-containing TiO­₂ and ZrO₂ films of good optical quality were obtained. Steering of plasmonics resonance in spectral range from 380 nm up to 430 nm was achieved for films with 4-8 wt % of nanoparticles.  Potential of embedding of luminescent markers (like rare earth ions) into considered films or possible applications of the obtained films as surfaces for enhanced Raman scattering is discussed.

1. Nanomaterials and nanochemistry / Eds. C. Brechignac, P. Houdy, M. Lahmani. Springer (2006).

2. Smith D.D., Snow L.A., Sibille L., Ignont E. // J. Non-Cryst. Solids, V. 285, P. 256-263 (2001).

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