Optical Hydrogen Nanothermometry of Plasmonic Nanoparticles under Illumination

Abstract

The temperature of nanoparticles is a critical parameter in applications that range from biology, to sensors, to photocatalysis. Yet, accurately determining the absolute temperature of nanoparticles is intrinsically difficult because traditional temperature probes likely deliver inaccurate results due to their large thermal mass compared to the nanoparticles. Here we present a hydrogen nanothermometry method that enables a noninvasive and direct measurement of absolute Pd nanoparticle temperature via the temperature dependence of the first-order phase transformation during Pd hydride formation. We apply it to accurately measure light-absorption-induced Pd nanoparticle heating at different irradiated powers with 1 °C resolution and to unravel the impact of nanoparticle density in an array on the obtained temperature. In a wider perspective, this work reports a noninvasive method for accurate temperature measurements at the nanoscale, which we predict will find application in, for example, nano-optics, nanolithography, and plasmon-mediated catalysis to distinguish thermal from electronic effects.

Hydrogen-Induced Aggregation of Au@Pd Nanoparticles for Eye-Readable Plasmonic Hydrogen Sensors

“…This result is consistent with Sievert’s law that describes the transformation of Pd into α-phase PdH x ( x denotes the amount of H atoms in Pd). , Then, the sensor response increases abruptly between 0.5% and 2% H 2 and finally get saturated with a further increase in the hydrogen concentration. This kind of S-shaped curve is basically in accordance with the α–β phase-transition behavior of Pd in hydrogen gas. , Moreover, it is interesting to note that all of the sensing processes, independent of the hydrogen concentration, are irreversible, i.e., the optical property remains almost unchanged when H 2 is changed back into air (Figure A).…”

“…This kind of S-shaped curve is basically in accordance with the α−β phase-transition behavior of Pd in hydrogen gas. 21,43 Moreover, it is interesting to note that all of the sensing processes, independent of the hydrogen concentration, are irreversible, i.e., the optical property remains almost unchanged when H 2 is changed back into air (Figure 3A).…”