In The Rush for the New Black Gold: Plasmonic and Thermoplasmonics Properties of Nanoporous Gold

Nanoporus gold (NPG) in composed of an interconnected matrix of ligaments and voids, this complex structure makes cumbersome the exploration of the optical properties of these structures. In this study a new parametrization of NPG structures is proposed, where several types of simulations were performed in order to have a clear picture of the plasmonic and thermoplasmonic properties of these kind of structures. Firstly, the absorption of an infinite periodic array of NPG elements is studied then in order to gain more insight about its plasmonic properties, absorption cross section of one element (unit cell) is computed. Moreover, starting from the absorption cross section, the heat generated by one element of NPG has also been studied. These simulations could pave the way to a new avenue for advanced applications of N anoporous Gold in various fields starting from biosensing to photocatalysis and even water desalinization platforms.