What Causes Unique Optical Properties at the Nanoscale?
The unique optical properties of nanomaterials arise primarily from the quantum confinement effect, surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and enhanced surface area. In quantum confinement, electrons are restricted to very small dimensions, which alters their energy states and, consequently, their interaction with light. Surface plasmon resonance occurs in metallic nanoparticles where free electrons resonate with incident light, leading to strong absorption and scattering at specific wavelengths.
