Synthesis of isolated silver nanoparticles and their aggregates manipulated by light

The feasibility of light‐driven engineering of isolated colloidal silver nanoparticles or, alternatively, of large fractaltype aggregates comprising hundreds to thousands of nanoparticles is investigated. Control over the size and shape of such nanostructures is shown by varying the type of optical irradiation and the amount and type of stabilizing agent. Manipulation of the morphology of plasmonic nanoparticles and composites provides control their optical properties, ability to concentrate electromagnetic radiation on subwavelength scales and ability to dramatically enhance nonlinear optical processes on the nanoscale. (© 2006 by Astro, Ltd. Published exclusively by WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA)