Surface Plasmon Resonance and Enhanced Fluorescence Application of Single-step Synthesized Elliptical Nano Gold-embedded Antimony Glass Dichroic Nanocomposites

A novel series of elliptical gold (Au-0) nanoparticles (18-40 nm) embedded antimony glass (K2O-B2O3-Sb2O3) dichroic nanocomposites have been synthesized by a single-step melt-quench in-situ thermochemical reduction technique. X-ray and selected area electron diffractions manifest growth of Au-0 nanoparticles along the (111) and (200) crystallographic planes. The transmission electron microscopic image reveals elliptical Au-0 nanoparticles having an aspect ratio varying in the range 1.2-2.1. The dichroic behavior of the nanocomposites arises due to elliptical shape of the Au-0 nanoparticles. These nanocomposites show strong surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band of Au nanoparticles in the range 610-681 nm and it exhibit red-shifts with increasing Au concentration. They, when co-doped with Sm2O3 and excited at 949 nm, exhibit about sevenfold enhancement of the upconverted red emission transition of (4)G(5/2)-> H-6(9/2) at 636 nm due to local electric field enhancement effect of Au-0 nanoparticles induced by its SPR. These nanocomposites are the promising materials for laser, display, and various nanophotonic applications.