Synthesis of Plasmonic Group‐4 Nitride Nanocrystals by Solid‐State Metathesis

Ready to plassemble: The synthesis of TiN, ZrN, and HfN nanocrystals using solid‐state metathesis is reported. The nanocrystals, which are dispersible in water, show localized surface plasmonic resonances in the near infrared (TiN) and visible region (ZrN, HfN) of light. This makes them ideal for applications like photothermal therapy or plasmon‐enhanced sensing.

Abstract

Ceramic nanoparticles that exhibit a plasmonic response are promising next‐generation photonic materials. In this contribution, a solid‐state metathesis method has been reported for the synthesis of Group 4 nitride (TiN, ZrN, and HfN) nanocrystals. A high‐temperature (1000 °C) reaction between Group 4 metal oxide (TiO₂, ZrO₂, and HfO₂) nanoparticles and magnesium nitride powder yielded nitride nanocrystals that were dispersible in water. A localized surface plasmonic resonance was observed in the near‐infrared region for TiN and in the visible region of light for ZrN and HfN nanocrystals. The frequency of the plasmon resonance was dependent on the refractive index of the solvent and the nanocrystal size.

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