Synthesis of gold nanorod/neodymium oxide yolk/shell composite with plasmon-enhanced near-infrared luminescence

A yolk/shell composite consisting of an AuNR core and an Nd(2)O(3) shell with a 19 nm gap is synthesized by a multi-step over-growth method. The near-infrared luminescence of AuNR@Nd(2)O(3) is up to 4.6 times higher than that of Nd(2)O(3) hollow nanoparticles. The underlying mechanism of plasmon-induced luminescence enhancement is further investigated.