Nano-sized Reactor: Architecture, Application And Characterizations

Polystyrene nanoparticles of diameter 600nm was made by emulsion polymerization. After evaporation of solvent water, an ordered structure of polystyrene nanoparticles can be spontaneously generate on a solid substrate, forming particle monolayer or multiplayer, which provide the template for metal deposition. In the polystyrene template, silver metal was chemically deposited to form a porous inverse opal nanostructure. With a similar polystyrene nanoparticle template, nickel metal was chemically deposited to form an inverse opal nanostructure. Surface-enhanced Raman spectra of 4-aminothiophenol on the different size silver and nickel nanostructure demonstrate that the focusing effect of nanostructure for the electromagnetic field contributes to the further enhancement of the Raman scattering of adsorbed organic molecules. The nanostructure size can influence the Raman enhancement. Moreover, the larger size can produce stronger signal. It is supposed that when the size of nanostructure is larger, the resonance Raman will shift to longer wavelength, and when it approaches 1064nm , an enhanced signal is got.With the verge and wall of the nanocavity (nanoreactor) modified by chemical method, nanoparticles were self-assembled in nanoreactor. SEM and Surface-enhanced Raman spectra indicate nanoparticles were preserved unchanged upon assembly, and the electromagnetic field of the nanocavity contributes to the further enhancement of the Raman scattering of assembled nanoparticles. Interphase chemical reaction was carried out in the nanoreactor.