Hybrid Nanoarchitectronics of Tantalum Oxide‐Coated Gold Nanoparticles as Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance‐Based Sensors for Volatile Organic Compounds Detection.

Herein, a localized surface plasmon resonance‐based sensor for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detection is developed. The sensors are fabricated as a hybrid nanostructure of gold nanoparticles coated with a tantalum oxide (TaO) thin film on a glass slide substrate through magnetron sputtering and thermal solid‐state dewetting techniques. The thickness of the TaO film varies between 10 and 70 nm. The optical properties of samples are characterized by UV‐Vis‐NIR spectrophotometry, while their morphologies are confirmed via transmission electron microscopy. The results show the shift of the minimum optical transmittance related to the TaO thickness. Electrical field simulations are performed to predict the sensitivity of the prepared samples for VOCs detection. In addition, the sensors are tested with different VOCs, including formaldehyde, isopropanol, acetone, and methanol, which show good potential for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]