Nanoplates are classified as having only one dimension in the nanometre range. The most widely utilized types of nanoplates are silicate clay minerals (montmorillonite) and graphite, which both exist in the form of layered materials. The main advantage of layered nanomaterials is their potentially large aspect ratio and unique intercalation/exfoliation characteristics. Nanoplates can be applied in various fields such as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), photovoltaics, molecular detection, and photothermal cancer therapy.

What is the difference between nanoplates and nanoparticles?

Nanoparticles have numerous applications in different fields of science and technology and can be classified based on their mode of synthesis, size, morphology, physical and chemical properties, and its applications.

Conventionally, the NPs should have a dimension in between 1 and 100 nm. Spherical NPs have all the three dimensions in the nanometre range; nanoplate presents only one dimension below 100 nm, whereas nanofibers have two dimensions in the range of nano, while the length may range to remarkably bigger dimensions.

What are silver nanoplates?

Silver nanoplates, also referred to as nanoprisms or nanodisks, are two-dimensional plasmonic nanostructures that have attracted intensive attention due to their strong shape-dependent optical properties and related applications. When the lateral dimension of silver nanoplates is much larger than the thickness, they possess an extreme degree of anisotropy, which favors a high tunability of their localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and therefore generates maximum electromagnetic-field enhancement.

What are gold nanoplates?

Gold nanoplates are pentahedral gold plates manufactured using a proprietary method with precise dimensions, highly monodisperse size and shape. It is also characterized by a long shelf life, high surface reactivity, and high electromagnetic enhancement for SERS and other Raman.

How to synthesize high-yield gold nanoplates?

In a study, researchers have developed a novel and simple chemical method to fastly synthesize Au nanoplates with size of micrometers and tens of nanometers in thickness. The synthesis was carried out within 30 minutes by thermal reduction of precursors (HAuCl4) in the presence of binary surfactants Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in ethylene glycol (EG) solution.

The obtained Au nanoplates exhibit strong surface plasmon absorption in the near-infrared region (NIR), displaying a considerable dependence on the shape and size. Characterizations by Transmission electron microscope and X-ray diffraction indicated that the nanoplates are single crystals with (111) planes as two basal surfaces.

About CD Bioparticles

CD Bioparticles offers a range of monodispersed nanoplates with high morphological yields, which have potential applications in bio-imaging, nanodevices and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Compared to 0D and 1D counterparts, these gold nanoplates (2D anisotropic nanocrystals) have large surface areas, sharp corners, and edges, which can provide a high degree of electric field enhancement, thus enabling a wide range of applications.

References
1. Njuguna, J., Ansari, F., Sachse, S., Rodriguez, V. M., Siqqique, S., & Zhu, H. (2021). Nanomaterials, nanofillers, and nanocomposites: types and properties. In Health and environmental safety of nanomaterials (pp. 3-37). Woodhead Publishing.
2. Kshtriya, V., Koshti, B., & Gour, N. (2021). Green synthesized nanoparticles: Classification, synthesis, characterization, and applications.
3. Zhang, Q., Li, N., Goebl, J., Lu, Z., & Yin, Y. (2011). A systematic study of the synthesis of silver nanoplates: is citrate a “magic” reagent?. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 133(46), 18931-18939.
4. Wang, C., Kan, C., Zhu, J., Zeng, X., Wang, X., Li, H., & Shi, D. (2010). Synthesis of high-yield gold nanoplates: fast growth assistant with binary surfactants. Journal of Nanomaterials, 2010.

Author's Bio: 

CD Bioparticles is a leading manufacturer and supplier of various nanoparticles, microparticles and their coatings for R&D and commercialization in a wide variety of application areas including in-vitro diagnostics, biochemistry, cellular analysis, cell separation, immunoassay.