2nd Webinar of Applied Sciences

Sensing Based on Surface Plasmons

Plasmons are collective excitations in a gas or liquid of charged particles, most frequently electrons. Plasmon-related effects can be traced back to the beginning of the last century with theoretical works of A. Sommerfeld, J. Zanneck and Lord Rayleigh, although the term itself probably was coined in 1952 by D. Pines and D. Bohm. In the 1950s, the existence of self-sustained collective excitations at metal surfaces (named thereafter as surface plasmons) was demonstrated experimentally. About two decades later, in the 1970s, the phenomenon of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), closely related to surface plasmons, was reported for the first time. With the development of nanotechnologies, such as precise patterning of metallic surfaces and colloidal synthesis of metallic nanoparticles (NPs), and the demonstration of the unique properties of graphene, a monolayer-thick transparent conductor with tunable conductivity, nanoplasmonics became an area of intensive research.

Nowadays, materials that support surface plasmons (NPs and other metallic nanostructures, graphene and their combinations) are widely studied and used in several technological fields, such as near-field microscopy, plasmonic integrated circuitry, and nano-optoelectronics. Of particular interest is the capacity of surface plasmons (either localized in a particle or propagating along a surface) to enhance several light-matter interaction processes. These processes underlie the phenomena of Raman scattering, photocatalysis, chemical energy conversion, heat generation, photovoltaics, etc.); they also open new possibilities to detect different kinds of molecules and biomolecules using label-free sensing platforms and even to perform comprehensive biological imaging and photothermal therapies.

This webinar will focus on the discussion of theoretical backgrounds and the latest advances in plasmonic nanostructures based on noble metals or graphene, as well as on their application in molecular sensing. It will include three talks, devoted to (i) noble-metal NP-based sensors exploring the Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) effect, (ii) SERS platforms for ultrasensitive detection of a particular analyte (SARS-CoV-2 markers); and (iii) sensing capabilities of graphene-based structures, delivered by experts on these topics.

Chair: Prof. Dr. Mikhail I. Vasilevskiy

Date: 21 January 2022

Time: 3:00 pm CET丨9:00 am EST丨10:00 pm CST Asia

Webinar ID: 892 1498 2197

Webinar Secretariat: applsci.webinar@mdpi.com