Could you explain the significance of your article to the non-specialist?

To prepare stable nanoparticles with controlled size and shape of polymers like polydiacetylenes that show very interesting properties was the basis of our work. The different colours exhibited by these polymers in relation to the monomer chemical nature, the polymerization procedure as well as in response to environmental perturbations make them excellent materials for the fabrication of sensing devices. The fast transmission of electromagnetic signals is another very interesting property for application in the telecommunications field. In our work we have prepared and studied polydiacetylene-coated gold nanoparticles, showing a colour dependence on the metal core size.

What has motivated you to conduct this work?

Polydiacetylene layers on metal nanoparticles were expected to show enhanced sensing and optical properties because of the interactions of the conjugated polymer backbone with the surface metal electrons. Moreover, also the control of the polydiacetylene conjugation length (hence its colour) by the metal core dimension, due to the different number of binding sites, was foreseen.

Where do you see this work developing in the future?

On the basis of results of our work, we intend to further develop the preparation technique of thin films by depositing the hybrid nanoparticles onto different appropriately functionalized substrates. In fact, the design and fabrication of ordered nano-structured assemblies can find many potential applications.

Are there any particular challenges facing future research in this area?

On the basis of the results obtained in this work, we foresee the possibility of repeating similar experiments with diacetylene-coated metal nanocages. Due to the combination between the extraordinary optical nonlinear properties of the polydiacetylene chain (huge and fast off-resonant values) and the field enhancing capability of metal nanocages in the near infrared, these structures can be proposed as novel composite materials with optimized response in the telecommunications windows or in high resolution imaging.