We developed a simple and systematic method to fabricate optically tunable and thermally and chemically stable Au-Ag nanocrystal-based plasmonic metamaterials. An Ag nanocrystal-based metamaterial with desirable optical properties was fabricated via nanoimprinting and ligand-exchange process. Its optical properties were controlled by selectively substituting Ag atoms with Au atoms through a spontaneous galvanic replacement reaction. The developed Au-Ag-based metamaterials provide excellent tunable plasmonic properties required for various applications in the visible and near-infrared regions by controlling the Au-Ag composition according to the conditions of the galvanic displacement. Furthermore, their thermal and chemical stabilities significantly improved because of the protective Au thin layer on the surface. Using this developed process, chemically and thermally stable and flexible plasmonic metamaterials were successfully fabricated on a flexible polyester terephthalate substrate.
Keywords: galvanic replacement; ligand exchange; metamaterials; nanoimprint lithography; plasmonics; silver nanocrystal.