Two-Dimensionally Ordered Plasmonic and Magnetic Nanostructures on Transferable Electron-Transparent Substrates

Discovery of new plasmonic behaviors from nanostructured materials can be greatly accelerated by the ability to prepare and characterize their near-field behaviors with high resolution in a rapid manner. Here, an efficient and cost-effective way is reported to make 2D periodic nanostructures on electron-transparent substrates for rapid characterization by transmission electron microscopy. By combining nanosphere lithography with a substrate float-off technique, large areas of electron-transparent periodic nanostructures can be achieved. For this study, the synthesis of plasmonic nanostructures of Ag, magnetic nanostructures of Co, and bimetallic nanostructures of Ag–Co are investigated. Characterization of the materials by a combination of transmission electron microscopy, far-field optical spectroscopy, and magnetization measurements reveals that this new approach can yield useful nanostructures on transparent, flexible, and transferable substrates with desirable plasmonic and/or magnetic properties.