The effect of hydrogen nanobubbles on the morphology of gold-gelatin bionanocomposite films and their optical properties.

Gold-gelatin bionanocomposite films are prepared by the reduction of gold ions by sodium borohydride in an aqueous solution. It is shown that both the solution and the films on glass substrates contain entrapped hydrogen micro- and nanobubbles with diameters in the range of 200 nm-3 μm. The optical properties of gold nanoparticles in the presence of gelatin and hydrogen nanobubbles are measured and simulated by using the discrete dipole approximation method. The composite films having micro- and nanobubble inclusions have been found to be very stable. The calculated localized surface plasmon resonance band is found in agreement with the experimental band position only when the presence of hydrogen bubbles around the gold nanoparticles is taken into account. The different morphological features engendered by the presence of the bubbles in the film (gelatin receptacles for the nanoparticles, gelatin hemispheres raised by the bubbles under the surface, cavities on the surface of the film, etc) are described in detail and considered for potential applications. This work is highly relevant to the new and exciting topic of nanobubbles on surfaces and interfaces.