Reconfigurable core-satellite nanoassemblies as molecularly-driven plasmonic switches

Molecular control of plasmon coupling is investigated in sub-100 nm assemblies composed of 13 nm gold "satellite" particles tethered by reconfigurable DNA nanostructures to a 50 nm gold "core" particle. Reconfiguration of the DNA nanostructures from a compact to an extended state results in blue shifting of the assembly plasmon resonance, indicating reduced interparticle coupling and lengthening of the core-satellite tether. Scattering spectra of the core-satellite assemblies before and after reconfiguration are compared with spectra calculated using a structural model that incorporates the core/satellite ratio determined by TEM imaging and estimates of tether length based upon prior measurements of interparticle separation in DNA linked nanoparticle networks. A strong correspondence between measured and simulated difference spectra validates the structural models that link the observed plasmon modulation with DNA nanostructure reconfiguration.