#381 Plasmonic Materials

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