Abstract: Localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) have a broad technology potential as an attractive platform for surface-enhanced spectroscopies, refractive index sensing, hyperthermal cancer therapy, plasmon-enhanced catalysis, and so on. One of the newest metals for plasmonics is magnesium. It is earth-abundant, biocompatible, and has a higher plasmonic quality factor than aluminum across the visible (and than gold and copper in the blue). In the past ten years, several fabricated magnesium structures have emerged, demonstrating the optical behaviors expected of plasmonic metals. Our group has chosen a different approach: we have developed colloidal, scalable batch and flow syntheses capable of size control from ~50 to 1000 nm. This talk will review the advances we have made over the past six years on colloidal magnesium plasmonics, with a focus on their fascinating size and shape-dependent optical, sensing, and catalytic properties.
The Physics Frontiers Centers (PFC) program supports university-based centers and institutes where the collective efforts of a larger group of individuals can enable transformational advances in the most promising research areas. The program is designed to foster major breakthroughs at the intellectual frontiers of physics by providing needed resources such as combinations of talents, skills, disciplines, and/or specialized infrastructure, not usually available to individual investigators or small groups, in an environment in which the collective efforts of the larger group can be shown to be seminal to promoting significant progress in the science and the education of students. PFCs also include creative, substantive activities aimed at enhancing education, broadening participation of traditionally underrepresented groups, and outreach to the scientific community and general public.