Ordered arrays of faceted gold nanoparticles obtained by dewetting and nanosphere lithography.

Nanoparticle arrays have potential applications in many areas, such as optics and electronics. Earlier work is mostly concentrated on the synthesis of such arrays, whereas we would like to focus on the control of particle size and shape, which has a great influence on the particle properties. In this study three different types of arrays of faceted nanoparticles were synthesized; it is shown that the particle size and shape in such arrays can be modified by the annealing treatment. By taking advantage of this, a novel method for the production of lines of faceted particles was demonstrated. These structures have potential applications as plasmon waveguides.