Improving the stability of plasmonic magnesium nanoparticles in aqueous media

This work describes two different core-shell architectures based on Mg nanoparticles (NPs) synthesised in order to improve Mg's stability in aqueous solutions. The shell thickness in Mg-polydopamine NPs can be modulated from 5 to >50 nm by ending the polymerization at different times; the resulting structures stabilize the metallic, plasmonic core in water for well over an hour. Mg-silica NPs with shells ranging from 5 to 30 nm can also be prepared via a modified Stöber procedure and they retain optical properties in 5% water-in-isopropanol solutions. These new architectures allow Mg nanoplasmonics to be investigated as an alternative to Ag and Au in a broader range of experimental conditions for a rich variety of applications. Plasmonic Mg nanoparticles can be stabilised up to a few hours in aqueous suspensions by protecting them inside core-shell architectures, which are prepared by condensation of either polydopamine or sol-gel silica.