Electrical detection of plasmon-induced isomerization in molecule–nanoparticle network devices

Didier Stiévenard (1, 2) , David Guérin (3, 1, 4) , Stéphane Lenfant (1, 5) , Gaëtan Lévêque (1, 2) , Christian A. Nijhuis (6) , Dominique Vuillaume (1, 5)

1 IEMN - Institut d’Électronique, de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie - UMR 8520
2 PHYSIQUE - IEMN - Physique - IEMN
3 CTP
4 CMNF - IEMN - Centrale de Micro Nano Fabrication - IEMN
5 NCM - IEMN - Nanostructures, nanoComponents & Molecules - IEMN
6 NUS - National University of Singapore

We use a network of molecularly linked gold nanoparticles (NPSAN: nanoparticles self-assembled network) to demonstrate the electrical detection (conductance variation) of a plasmon-induced isomerization (PII) of azobenzene derivatives (azobenzene bithiophene : AzBT). We show that PII is more efficient in a 3D-like (cluster-NPSAN) than in a purely two-dimensional NPSAN (i.e., a monolayer of AzBT functionalized Au NPs). By comparison with usual optical (UV-visible light) isomerization of AzBT, the PII shows a faster (a factor about 10) isomerization kinetics. Possible PII mechanisms are discussed: electric field-induced isomerization, two-phonon process, plasmon-induced resonant energy transfer (PIRET), the latter being the most likely.

Domaines: Physique [physics]; Matière Condensée [cond-mat]

Didier Stiévenard, David Guérin, Stéphane Lenfant, Gaëtan Lévêque, Christian A. Nijhuis, et al.. Electrical detection of plasmon-induced isomerization in molecule–nanoparticle network devices. Nanoscale, 2018, 10 (48), pp.23122-23130. ⟨10.1039/c8nr07603k⟩. ⟨hal-02133789⟩