Facile Fabrication of Gold Nanorods@Polystyrenesulfonate\nYolk–Shell Nanoparticles for Spaser Applications

Abstract

We present a method\nfor producing gold nanorods surrounded by a\nhollow polymeric shell of polystyrenesulfonate and show that the cavities\nof such particles can be filled with various organic dyes. The approach\nconsists of covering gold nanorods with silica, followed by its slow\nhydrolysis in an aqueous medium in the presence of the polymer thin\nlayer permeable for dye molecules. The proposed method enables the\nyolk–shell nanoparticles to be obtained and loaded with organic\ndyes without a need to use thermal treatment and/or chemical etching,\nwhich makes it suitable for use in the creation of spasers.