University of Kentucky
STUDY 2: The Behavior of Metallic Nanoparticles on Nanoporous Anodized Alumina
Institution
University of Kentucky
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Bruce Hinds; M. Pinar Menguc
Abstract
With its promise to revolutionize the way in which we live, research in nanotechnology has grown quickly in the last decade. By engineering materials at the nanometer scale, we are able to utilize their unique properties. Because of these unique phenomena, we are able to direct our research towards a project which little work has been previously done. We obtained simulated and experimental results of the behavior of metallic nanoparticles on nanoporous anodized alumina on a silicon substrate. For the simulated results, COMSOL, a commercial finite element program was used. Experimental results were obtained by microscopy on an Atomic Force Microscope and a Scanning Electron Microscope. We prepared the silicon alumina substrates using deposition equipment, annealed the substrates, and incorporated the nanoparticles using various methods. Using transmission spectroscopy, we were able to determine the absorption peaks for the gold and porous alumina. Comparing the experimental results to the simulated results, we were able to see that the COMSOL model predicted the absorption peaks perfectly. This means that we will be able to classify the aspect ratios of the metallic nanostructures based on their reflection spectrum. The solutions provided by our simulations and experiments will be used in areas such as bio-sensing, nanoelectronic devices, and medicine. Possibly one of the most exciting aspects of this research is its use in advancing the technology of filtration devices. Our results will be used by many fields in future research.
STUDY 2: The Behavior of Metallic Nanoparticles on Nanoporous Anodized Alumina
With its promise to revolutionize the way in which we live, research in nanotechnology has grown quickly in the last decade. By engineering materials at the nanometer scale, we are able to utilize their unique properties. Because of these unique phenomena, we are able to direct our research towards a project which little work has been previously done. We obtained simulated and experimental results of the behavior of metallic nanoparticles on nanoporous anodized alumina on a silicon substrate. For the simulated results, COMSOL, a commercial finite element program was used. Experimental results were obtained by microscopy on an Atomic Force Microscope and a Scanning Electron Microscope. We prepared the silicon alumina substrates using deposition equipment, annealed the substrates, and incorporated the nanoparticles using various methods. Using transmission spectroscopy, we were able to determine the absorption peaks for the gold and porous alumina. Comparing the experimental results to the simulated results, we were able to see that the COMSOL model predicted the absorption peaks perfectly. This means that we will be able to classify the aspect ratios of the metallic nanostructures based on their reflection spectrum. The solutions provided by our simulations and experiments will be used in areas such as bio-sensing, nanoelectronic devices, and medicine. Possibly one of the most exciting aspects of this research is its use in advancing the technology of filtration devices. Our results will be used by many fields in future research.