Sensors

One of the best-studied applications of plasmonic materials is sensors for detecting chemical and biological agents. In one approach, researchers coat a plasmonic nanomaterial with a substance that binds to a molecule of interest-say, a bacterial toxin. In the absence of the toxin, light shining on the material is reemitted at a specific angle. But if the toxin is present, it will alter the frequency of the surface plasmon and, consequently, the angle of the reflected light. This effect can be measured with great accuracy, enabling even trace amounts of the toxin to be detected and measured.