LPSR-Based Biodetection of Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles

Metal and metal oxide nanoparticles’ localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) property is widely used in chemical and biological sensing due to their sensitivity towards changes in local refractive index profile. Selective biosensing of molecules with functionalized nanoparticles is growing as an interdisciplinary area of research in chemistry, biology, and materials science. Noble metals, particularly gold (Au) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles, have specific and tunable plasmonic properties. The size and shape of metallic nanostructures can be controlled to manipulate their LSPR and study their response to the local environment. In this chapter, we discuss the fundamental electromagnetic dynamics governing light–matter interaction in plasmonic metallic nanostructures for spherical as well as anisotropic nanoparticles and various sensing modes of LPSR. Various synthesis strategies for the development of metallic nanostructures, including core-shell, alloys and bimetallic nanostructures for plasmonic biosensing, are also outlined. Finally, applications of surface plasmons for biosensing in different fields such as biomedicine, agriculture, environmental protection, and optical fibre sensor technology are also reviewed.