Colloidal dispersions of gold rods: Synthesis and optical properties

Colloidal dispersions of rod-shaped gold particles are obtained by electrod eposition of gold in the nanopores of anodized alumina attached to a conduc tive support followed by dissolution of the alumina and release of the rods from the support. Coagulation is prevented by steric repulsion due to adso rption of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) on the gold surface. The synthesis method presented is suitable for the preparation of dispersions of nearly monodisp erse colloidal gold rods with adjustable aspect ratio Lid in the range 1.8 < L/d < 49. The length, L, is tuned between 39 and 729 nm, and the diameter , d, is between 12 and 22 nm. The absorbance spectra of randomly oriented c olloidal gold rods display a transverse and a longitudinal resonance contri bution. With increasing aspect ratio, the transverse resonance shows a smal l shift to shorter wavelengths, while the longitudinal resonance shifts int o the near-infrared regime. The positions of the absorbance maxima agree wi th the predictions of the Gans theory.