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Metal nanoparticles (NPs), especially of Au and Ag, are widely used for plasmonic-based enhanced sensing. Time stability of plasmonic properties is an important issue for the practical application of NP matrixes. Compared to Au and Ag, Cu nanostructures are good candidates for providing intense plasmonic bands, while it is also a less expensive material. However, Cu NPs are prone to oxidation in ambient atmosphere that leads to fast degradation of plasmonic functionality. We propose the formation of Cu NP matrixes utilizing gas-phase aggregation ensuring monocrystalline particles with high purity improving chemical inertness. Additionally, a simple approach of UV-ozone treatment is shown to form a thin oxide shell protecting the metallic core against following possible reactions with environmental species and stabilizing the plasmonic properties for period over 150 days in ambient air. View this paper
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