Au@Pd core–shell nanocubes with finely-controlled sizes

Abstract

We report a facile method for the synthesis of highly uniform Au@Pd core–shell nanocubes with finely- and well-controlled sizes by seed-mediated growth. Using single-crystal seeds of Au spheres with a uniform size, we could reproducibly obtain Au@Pd core–shell nanocubes with a narrow size distribution (<7% in standard deviation) and in high yield (>98%). Moreover, the size of the Au@Pd core–shell nanocubes could be finely and readily tuned in a controllable fashion from 11.4 to 41.1 nm in edge length by varying the concentration of Na₂PdCl₄, the amount of seeds, or both. We have also investigated the localized surface plasmon resonance properties of Au@Pd core–shell nanocubes as a function of Pd shell thickness.