A method of manufacturing a photothermal conversion element includes preparing a solid material and forming a processed region processed by irradiation of the solid material with a laser beam. The forming includes grain refining the solid material to blacken the processed region.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide plasmonic structures, methods of making plasmonic structures, and the like.

Provided is a metal matrix nanocomposite comprising: (a) a metal or metal alloy as a matrix material; and (b) multiple graphene sheets that are dispersed in said matrix material, wherein said multiple graphene sheets are substantially aligned to be parallel to one another and are in an amount from 0.1% to 95% by volume based on the total nanocomposite volume; wherein the multiple graphene sheets contain single-layer or few-layer graphene sheets selected from pristine graphene, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, graphene fluoride, graphene chloride, graphene bromide, graphene iodide, hydrogenated graphene, nitrogenated graphene, doped graphene, chemically functionalized graphene, or a combination thereof and wherein the chemically functionalized graphene is not graphene oxide. The metal matrix exhibits a combination of exceptional tensile strength, modulus, thermal conductivity, and/or electrical conductivity.

A biosensor for monitoring surface binding events is disclosed. The biosensor comprises an array of nanoparticles and an analyte responsive polymer. The array of nanoparticles includes a plurality of nanoparticles distributed across the nanoparticle array. The analyte responsive polymer includes a recognition element at a first end of the polymer and a terminus at a second end of the polymer distal from the recognition element, the terminus end being conjugated to the nanoparticles in the array. When the recognition element reacts with an analyte, the analyte responsive polymer creates an electrochemical signal at the surface of the nanoparticle array which can be measured to monitor surface events of the analyte responsive polymer.

A three-dimensional chiral nanostructure according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: metal nanoparticles having a chiral structure: and a coating layer enclosing the metal nanoparticles. The metal nanoparticle is formed in a polyhedral structure having an R region and an S region in which atoms are arranged clockwise and counterclockwise, respectively, in the order of (111), (100), and (110) crystal faces on the basis of the chiral center, wherein at least a portion of the edges form a curve tilting and extending from the R or S region so that the metal nanoparticle has a chiral structure.

A plasmonic hierarchical structure according to an embodiment includes a nanogap formed between metal nanoparticles. The nanogap has a width of 1 nm to 100 nm. The metal nanoparticles comprise at least one selected from the group consisting of gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), platinum (Pt), and palladium (Pd). The plasmonic hierarchical structure further includes silica (SiO.sub.2) nanoparticles or CdSe quantum dots. A method for producing a plasmonic hierarchical structure according to an embodiment includes: injecting a metal nanoparticle solution into a micropipette; releasing the metal nanoparticle solution by bringing the micropipette into contact with a substrate; and forming a meniscus of the released metal nanoparticle solution, thereby producing a plasmonic hierarchical structure.

A supramolecular approach has been developed for preparation of size-controllable nanoparticles, from three different molecular building blocks.

A supramolecular approach has been developed for preparation of size-controllable nanoparticles, from three different molecular building blocks.

A method for transferring an atomically thin layer comprising providing a target substrate and a donor substrate on which a first atomically thin layer has been formed. The method further comprises disposing an adhesion layer at the donor substrate or at the target substrate. The method further comprises bringing the target substrate and the donor substrate together. Further, the method comprises bonding together the donor substrate, the adhesion layer and the target substrate and removing the donor substrate.

Method and system in optical microscopy based on the deflection of micro- and nanomechanical structures, upon impact of a laser beam thereon, which simultaneously and automatically provides a spatial map of the static deflection and of the form of various vibration modes, with vertical resolution in the subangstrom range. The invention comprises at least one mechanical structure, an incident laser beam sweeping the surface of the structure, an optometric detector for capturing the laser beam, and frequency excitation means that generate at least two sinusoidal signals at different frequencies in the mechanical structure.