Gold nanorods grown from HgTe nanoparticles directly on various surfaces

Gold nanorods (NRs) are nucleated by HgTe semiconductor nanoparticles. Growth of ∼200×50nm2 NRs directly on various surfaces is achieved by using an intermediary polyelectrolyte layer. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms the deposition of gold. An increase in the intensity of the Au NR plasmon resonance is observed with optical extinction spectroscopy. This seeding technique, amenable to many different surfaces, suggests a simple synthetic route to composite materials with interesting electronic and optical properties.