Plasmonics is a highly dynamic field, and a number of researchers and scientists from other disciplines have become involved in it. This book presents the most widely employed approaches to plasmonics and the numerous applications associated with it. There are several underlying elements in plasmonics research. Advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology have made possible the fabrication of plasmonic nanostructures, deposition of thin films, and development of highly sensitive optical characterization techniques. The different approaches to nanostructuring metals have led to a wealth of interesting optical properties and functionality via manipulation of the plasmon modes that such structures support. The sensitivity of plasmonic structures to the changes in their local dielectric environment has led to the development of new sensing strategies and systems for chemical analysis and identification. The book discusses all of these aspects.

Functionalized Nanomaterials for the Management of Microbial Infection: A Strategy to Address Microbial Drug Resistance introduces the reader to the newly developing use of nanotechnology to combat microbial drug resistance. Excessive use of antibiotics and antimicrobial agents has produced an inexorable rise in antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens. The use of nanotechnology is currently the most promising strategy to overcome microbial drug resistance. This book shows how, due to their small size, nanoparticles can surmount existing drug resistance mechanisms, including decreased uptake and increased efflux of the drug from the microbial cell, biofilm formation, and intracellular bacteria. In particular, chapters cover the use of nanoparticles to raise intracellular antimicrobial levels, thus directly targeting sites of infection and packaging multiple antimicrobial agents onto a single nanoparticle.

Nanostructured Photocatalysts: From Materials to Applications in Solar Fuels and Environmental Remediation addresses the different properties of nanomaterials-based heterogeneous photocatalysis. Heterogeneous nanostructured photocatalysis represents an interesting and viable technique to address issues of climate change and global energy supply. Sustainable hydrogen (H2) fuel production from water via semiconductor photocatalysis, driven by solar energy, is regarded as a viable and sustainable solution to address increasing energy and environmental issues. Similarly, photocatalytic reduction of CO2 with water for the production of hydrocarbons could also be a viable solution. Sections cover band gap tuning, high surface area, the short diffusion path of carriers, and more.