Photoactivated Fluorescence from Individual Silver Nanoclusters

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 291; no. 5501; pp. 103 - 106
• Main Authors: Peyser, Lynn A., Vinson, Amy E., Bartko, Andrew P., Dickson, Robert M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for the Advancement of Science 05.01.2001; American Association for the Advancement of Science; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Alkenes; Chemistry; Color; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Exact sciences and technology; Fluorescence; Measurement; Molecules; Nanocrystals and nanoparticles; Nanoparticles; Nanotechnology; Observation; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Optical properties of specific thin films; Particle emission; Particles; Particulate matter; Photographic film; Physics; Pollutant emissions; Precious metal products; Protons; Silver; Wavelengths; United States; Inorganic compounds; Photoactivation; Transition element compounds; Color; Photoluminescence; Fluorescence; Experimental study; Thin films; Silver oxides; Preparation; Illumination; Oxidation; Nanostructured materials; Island structure
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.291.5501.103

Fluorescence microscopy of nanoscale silver oxide (Ag2O) reveals strong photoactivated emission for excitation wavelengths shorter than 520 nanometers. Although blinking and characteristic emission patterns demonstrate single-nanoparticle observation, large-scale dynamic color changes were also observed, even from the same nanoparticle. Identical behavior was observed in oxidized thin silver films that enable Ag2Oparticles to grow at high density from silver islands. Data were readily written to these films with blue excitation; stored data could be nondestructively read with the strong red fluorescence resulting from green (wavelengths longer than 520 nanometers) excitation. The individual luminescent species are thought to be silver nanoclusters that are photochemically generated from the oxide.