One-pot synthesis of wavy gold-silver alloy nanoplates with tunable elemental compositions: Optical and photothermal properties.

• A facile method for fabrication of AuAg alloy nanoplates with controlled elemental compositions was developed. • They were characterized with a unique morphology of wavy nanoplate, together with sub-15 nm in thickness. • Tunable LSPR properties and satisfying photothermal performance were demonstrated. Gold-silver alloy wavy nanoplates with tunable elemental compositions are successfully prepared, exhibiting strong NIR absorbance and excellent photothermal properties. [Display omitted] We report a facile synthesis of AuAg alloy nanoplates in high purity, together with tunable elemental compositions and uniformity in size and morphology. The success of current work relies on the one-pot co-reduction of Au and Ag precursor in an ice-water bath with the presence of octadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (OTAC) as a capping agent. With the increase in Ag content, the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of AuAg alloy nanoplates exhibited a noticeable blue-shift from near-infrared (NIR) to visible region. Thanks to the well-defined NIR LSPR properties and broad spectral range, the current products exhibit a remarkably integrated high-quality photothermal feature as well as the efficient photothermal conversion. Meanwhile, the current AuAg alloy nanoplates demonstrate satisfying photothermal stability verified via continuous exposure and cyclic irradiation by an 808-nm laser. The present study offers a facile route to the preparation of two-dimensional AuAg alloy nanocrystals with tunable elemental compositions and validates their excellent responses towards photothermal measurements, which could find promising use in photothermy-based diagnosis and therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]