Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are small nanoparticles that exhibit photoluminescence (PL) properties thanks to electron-hole recombination. On the other hand, other nanoparticles such as gold nanorods (GNR) exhibit strong plasmonic effects, which induce an exalted electric field at the hot spots of the particles, from tens to hundreds of times the incident field. The aim of this PhD project is to place one or more AgInS2 QDs in the hot spots of GNRs, in order to increase their excitation field and therefore their PL. This requires precise control of the relative position of the QDs as well as the distance between the particles, to induce PL enhancement without quenching. For this task, and for further biosensing applications, the use of DNA as a smart linker appears to be a good solution. Due to the highly multidisciplinary character of this project and its innovative nature built from two partner laboratories, it has been divided into four work packages: i) the realization of COMSOL simulations to study the coupling properties of the nanoparticles, ii) the synthesis of the AgInS2 QD and its functionalization with DNA, iii) the regio-selective functionalization of GNRs with DNA, and finally iv) the assembly of the particles and the characterization their optical properties. ​​​
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