Plasmon excitation bands

The electronic absorption spectrum of metal nanocrystals in the visible region is dominated by the plasmon band. This absorption is due to the collective excitation of the itinerant electron gas on the particle surface and is characteristic of a nanocrystal of a given size. In metal colloids, surface plasmon excitations impart characteristic colors to the metal sols, the beautiful wine-red color of gold sols being well-known [6-8]. The dependence of the plasmon peak on the dielectric constant of the surrounding medium and the diameter of the nanocrystal was predicted theoretically by Mie and others at the turn of the last century [9-12]. The dependence of the absorption band of thiol-capped Au nanocrystals on solvent refractive index was recently verified by Templeton et al. [13]. Link et al. found that the absorption band splits into longitudinal and transverse bands in Au nanorods [6, 7]. 

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