(Newswire Today) —  Salt Lake City, UT, United States, 2008-11-07 - Gold nanowires 20 nm thick and 200 nm to 2000 nm in length with absorptions from the near to mid-IR will improve solar cell efficiencies, optics, and nanoelectronics.

A revolutionary new gold nanoparticle manufacturing method has been developed that results in gold nanowires that are upwards of 2 microns in length and only 20 nm in diameter. These ultra-long devices exhibit tremendous photothermal properties, converting up to 90% of incident light energy to heat. Their tunable optical absorption range is from 1 to 10 microns.

Nanowires are an extension of the technology currently employed by Nanopartz™ for nanorods. Gold nanorods have recently found huge successes in cancer therapy. Gold nanorods are also used for blood testing in diagnostics; as optical contrast agents in imaging; in material science, optics, negative refractive index materials such as the “Harry Potter Cloak;” and for improving the density of optical data storage in compact disks.

With tunable absorptions in the near to mid-IR, solar cell manufacturers can use these devices to improve the efficiencies of their devices since current devices do not absorb well at these wavelengths. Their shapes lend themselves to be a component in better optical devices like polarizers, filters, and negative refractive index materials. Many scientists have employed these devices as wires in nanocircuitry.
Nanopartz™ is also experts in conjugating surface coatings to these gold nanoparticles. These conjugation provide the mechanical linkage necessary for many of these applications.

These devices are now available for evaluation at pre-production quantities. "We are very excited at the potential applications of these gold nanoparticles,” said Christian Schoen, President of Nanopartz™.

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