Magneto-plasmonic-carbon-nanoscrolls with enhanced performances for sensitive biosensing applications

Hybrid inorganic nanomaterials that combine two or more component into one nanostructure have experienced a substantial progress in terms of the design and synthesis processes. Such complex structures have the potential to... [ view full abstract ]

Hybrid inorganic nanomaterials that combine two or more component into one nanostructure have experienced a substantial progress in terms of the design and synthesis processes. Such complex structures have the potential to combine magnetic, plasmonic, semiconducting and other physical or chemical properties into a single object, allowing enhanced and often new functionalities resulting from the synergetic combinations of parent properties. Herein, we present a novel method for generating magneto-plasmonic carbon-nanofilms and nanoscrolls using a combination of two gas-phase synthetic techniques. Ternary Fe@Ag@Si “onion-like” nanoparticles (NPs) are produced by a magnetron-sputtering-inert-gas-condensation source and are in-situ landed onto the surface of carbon-nanofilms, which were previously deposited by a DC-arc-discharge technique. Subsequently, a polyethyleneimine-mediated chemical exfoliation process is performed to obtain carbon-nanoscrolls (CNS) with embedded NPs (CNS-NPs). The carbon nanofilms undergo an interfacial transition upon deposition of NPs and become rich in the sp2 phase. This transformation endows and enhances multiple functions, such as thermal conductivity and the plasmonic properties of the nanocomposites. The obtained nanocomposites were evaluated as a Surface-Enhanced-Raman-Scattering (SERS) agents for ATP biomolecules, and showed a high Enhanced Factors (EF) allowing the detection of ATP molecules at concentrations of 10-10 M. In addition, CNSs-NPs showed an enhanced single- and two-photon fluorescence, in comparison with pristine CNSs and NPs. The photothermal response of CNSs-NPs suspension was monitored and showed higher performance as well as.