Effect of chemically induced permittivity changes on the plasmonic properties of metal nanoparticles

Understanding chemical effects on the plasmonic properties of a metal nanomaterial due to the surface molecules on that metal is of great importance in the field of plasmonics and these effects have yet to be completely elucidated. Here, we report mechanisms of the chemically induced change in the electronic state at the metal-ligand interface of silver nanoparticles due to the ligand molecules, and the effect of this change on the plasmonic properties of those nanoparticles. It was found that changes in the electron density of states at the metal-ligand interface cause alterations in the induced and permanent dipole moments, and eventually to the permittivity at the interface, when the wave function near the Fermi level is localized at the interface. These alterations play a key role in determining the plasmonic properties of silver nanoparticles. The present findings provide a more precise understanding of the interconnection between the electronic states at the metal-organic interface and the plasmonic properties of the metal.