Browsing by Subject "Nanoparticles"

Now showing 1 - 20 of 141

Open Access
2-nm laser-synthesized Si nanoparticles for low-power charge trapping memory devices
(IEEE, 2014-08) El-Atab, N.; Özcan, Ayşe; Alkış, Sabri; Okyay, Ali Kemal; Nayfeh, A.
In this work, the effect of embedding Silicon Nanoparticles (Si-NPs) in ZnO based charge trapping memory devices is studied. Si-NPs are fabricated by laser ablation of a silicon wafer in deionized water followed by sonication and filtration. The active layer of the memory was deposited by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) and spin coating technique was used to deliver the Si-NPs across the sample. The nanoparticles provided a good retention of charges (>10 years) in the memory cells and allowed for a large threshold voltage (Vt) shift (3.4 V) at reduced programming voltages (1 V). The addition of ZnO to the charge trapping media enhanced the electric field across the tunnel oxide and allowed for larger memory window at lower operating voltages. © 2014 IEEE.
Open Access
3D printed microfluidic reactor for high throuhput chitosan nanoparticle synthesis
(Chemical and Biological Microsystems Society, 2016) Aşık, M. D.; Çetin, Barbaros; Kaplan, M.; Erdem, Yegan; Saǧlam, N.
The major bottleneck for the commercialization of nanoparticle related technologies is the mass production of the nanoparticles. One approach to overcome this bottleneck is use of microfluidic devices. In this paper, a 3D printed, high throughput micro-reactor that is capable of synthesizing both chitosan and chitosan coated iron oxide nanoparticles is presented.
Open Access
Advances in biosensor technologies for acute kidney injury
(American Chemical Society, 2021-12-20) Derin, Esma; İnci, Fatih
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most prevalent and complex clinical syndromes with high morbidity and mortality. The traditional diagnosis parameters are insufficient regarding specificity and sensitivity, and therefore, novel biomarkers and their facile and rapid applications are being sought to improve the diagnostic procedures. The biosensors, which are employed on the basis of electrochemistry, plasmonics, molecular probes, and nanoparticles, are the prominent ways of developing point-of-care devices, along with the mutual integration of efficient surface chemistry strategies. In this manner, biosensing platforms hold pivotal significance in detecting and quantifying novel AKI biomarkers to improve diagnostic interventions, potentially accelerating clinical management to control the injury in a timely manner. In this review, novel diagnostic platforms and their manufacturing processes are presented comprehensively. Furthermore, strategies to boost their effectiveness are also indicated with several applications. To maximize these efforts, we also review various biosensing approaches with a number of biorecognition elements (e.g., antibodies, aptamers, and molecular imprinting molecules), as well as benchmark their features such as robustness, stability, and specificity of these platforms.
Open Access
Amphiphilic peptide coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for in vivo MR tumor imaging
(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2016) Ozdemir, A.; Ekiz, M. S.; Dilli, A.; Güler, Mustafa O.; Tekinay, A. B.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive imaging technique that provides high spatial resolution and depth with pronounced soft-tissue contrast for in vivo imaging. A broad variety of strategies have been employed to enhance the diagnostic value of MRI and detect tissue abnormalities at an earlier stage. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are considered to be suitable candidates for effective imaging due to their small size, versatile functionality and better biocompatibility. Here, we demonstrate that coating SPIONs with proline-rich amphiphilic peptide molecules through noncovalent interactions leads to a water-dispersed hybrid system suitable as an MRI contrast agent. Cellular viability and uptake of amphiphilic peptide coated SPIONs (SPION/K-PA) were evaluated with human vascular endothelial cells (HUVEC) and estrogen receptor (ER) positive human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cells. The efficiency of SPION/K-PA as MRI contrast agents was analyzed in Sprague-Dawley rats with mammary gland tumors. MR imaging showed that SPION/K-PA effectively accumulated in tumor tissues, enhancing their imaging potential. Although nanoparticles were observed in reticuloendothelial system organs (RES) and especially in the liver and kidney immediately after administration, the MR signal intensity in these organs diminished after 1 h and nanoparticles were subsequently cleared from these organs within two weeks. Histological observations also validated the accumulation of nanoparticles in tumor tissue at 4 h and their bioelimination from the organs of both healthy and tumor-bearing rats after two weeks.
Open Access
Analysis of Fe nanoparticles using XPS measurements under d.c. or pulsed-voltage bias
(2010) Süzer, Şefik; Baer, D. R.; Engelhard, M. H.
The impact of solution exposure on the charging properties of oxide coatings on Fe metal-core oxide-shell nanoparticles has been examined by sample biasing during XPS measurements. The Fe nanoparticles were suspended in relatively unreactive acetone and analyzed after particles containing solutions were deposited on SiO2/Si or Au substrates. The particle and substrate combinations were subjected to ±10V d.c. or ±5V a.c., biasing in the form of square wave (SQW) pulses. The samples experienced variable degrees of charging for which low-energy electrons at ∼1eV, 20 μA and low-energy Ar+ ions were used to minimize it. Application of d.c. bias and/or SQW pulses significantly influences the extent of charging, which is utilized to gather additional analytical information about the sample under investigation. This approach allows separation of otherwise overlapping peaks. Accordingly, the O1s peaks of the silicon oxide substrate, the iron oxide nanoparticles, and that of the casting solvent can be separated from each other. Similarly, the C1s peak belonging to the solvent can be separated from that of the adventitious carbon. The charging shifts of the iron nanoparticles are strongly influenced by the solvent to which the particles were exposed. Hence, acetone exhibited the largest shift, water the smallest, and methanol in between. Dynamical measurements performed by application of the voltage stress in the form of SQW pulses provides information about the time constants of the processes involved, which leads us to postulate that these charging properties we probe in these systems stem mainly from ionic movement(s).
Open Access
Analysis of the in vitro nanoparticle–cell interactions via a smoothing-splines mixed-effects model
(Taylor and Francis, 2016) Dogruoz, E.; Dayanik, S.; Budak, G.; Sabuncuoglu, I.
A mixed-effects statistical model has been developed to understand the nanoparticle (NP)–cell interactions and predict the rate of cellular uptake of NPs. NP–cell interactions are crucial for targeted drug delivery systems, cell-level diagnosis, and cancer treatment. The cellular uptake of NPs depends on the size, charge, chemical structure, and concentration of NPs, and the incubation time. The vast number of combinations of these variable values disallows a comprehensive experimental study of NP–cell interactions. A mathematical model can, however, generalize the findings from a limited number of carefully designed experiments and can be used for the simulation of NP uptake rates, to design, plan, and compare alternative treatment options. We propose a mathematical model based on the data obtained from in vitro interactions of NP–healthy cells, through experiments conducted at the Nanomedicine and Advanced Technologies Research Center in Turkey. The proposed model predicts the cellular uptake rate of silica, polymethyl methacrylate, and polylactic acid NPs, given the incubation time, size, charge and concentration of NPs. This study implements the mixed-model methodology in the field of nanomedicine for the first time, and is the first mathematical model that predicts the rate of cellular uptake of NPs based on sound statistical principles. Our model provides a cost-effective tool for researchers developing targeted drug delivery systems.
Open Access
Artificial neural network modeling and simulation of in-vitro nanoparticle-cell interactions
(American Scientific Publishers, 2014) Cenk, N.; Budak, G.; Dayanik, S.; Sabuncuoglu, I.
In this research a prediction model for the cellular uptake efficiency of nanoparticles (NPs), which is the rate that NPs adhere to a cell surface or enter a cell, is investigated via an artificial neural network (ANN) method. An appropriate mathematical model for the prediction of the cellular uptake rate of NPs will significantly reduce the number of time-consuming experiments to determine which of the thousands of possible variables have an impact on NP uptake rate. Moreover, this study constitutes a basis for targeted drug delivery and cell-level detection, treatment and diagnosis of existing pathologies through simulating NP-cell interactions. Accordingly, this study will accelerate nanomedicine research. Our research focuses on building a proper ANN model based on a multilayered feed-forward back-propagation algorithm that depends on NP type, size, surface charge, concentration and time for prediction of cellular uptake efficiency. The NP types for in-vitro NP-healthy cell interaction analysis are polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), silica and polylactic acid (PLA), all of whose shapes are spheres. The proposed ANN model has been developed on MATLAB Programming Language by optimizing a number of hidden layers (HLs), node numbers and training functions. The datasets are obtained from in-vitro NP-cell interaction experiments conducted by Nanomedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center. The dispersion characteristics and cell interactions with different NPs in organisms are explored using an optimal ANN prediction model. Simulating the possible interactions of targeted NPs with cells via an ANN model will be faster and cheaper compared to the excessive experimentation currently necessary.
Embargo
Autophagy flux in bladder cancer: cell death crosstalk, drug and nanotherapeutics
(Elsevier, 2024-06-01) Liu, Kuan; Chen, Huijing; Li, Yanhong; Wang, Bei; Li, Qian; Zhang, Lu; Liu, Xiaohui; Wang, Ce; Ertaş, Yavuz Nuri; Shi, Hongyun
Autophagy, a self-digestion mechanism, has emerged as a promising target in the realm of cancer therapy, particularly in bladder cancer (BCa), a urological malignancy characterized by dysregulated biological processes contributing to its progression. This highly conserved catabolic mechanism exhibits aberrant activation in pathological events, prominently featured in human cancers. The nuanced role of autophagy in cancer has been unveiled as a double-edged sword, capable of functioning as both a pro-survival and pro-death mechanism in a context-dependent manner. In BCa, dysregulation of autophagy intertwines with cell death mechanisms, wherein pro-survival autophagy impedes apoptosis and ferroptosis, while pro-death autophagy diminishes tumor cell survival. The impact of autophagy on BCa progression is multifaceted, influencing metastasis rates and engaging with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) mechanism. Pharmacological modulation of autophagy emerges as a viable strategy to impede BCa progression and augment cell death. Notably, the introduction of nanoparticles for targeted autophagy regulation holds promise as an innovative approach in BCa suppression. This review underscores the intricate interplay of autophagy with cell death pathways and its therapeutic implications in the nuanced landscape of bladder cancer.
Open Access
A bean-like formation of germanium nanoparticles inside CNTs by the subsequent operation of colloidal synthesis and catalytic chemical vapor deposition methods
(Wiley, 2018) Karatutlu, Ali; Boi, F. S.; Wilson, R. M.; Ersoy, O.; Ortac, Bülend; Sapelkin, A.
The first attempts of implanting Ge nanoparticles (Ge NPs) inside iron filled CNTs (IF-CNTs) by a subsequent use of the bench top colloidal synthesis and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) approach is shown. Ge NPs are colloidally synthesized (with a 3.8 ± 0.6 nm in size) before the deposition. The hybrid Ge NPs/IF-CNTs structure and morphology are characterized using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, selective area electron diffraction, and X-ray diffraction studies. After the deposition, Ge NPs appear to be grown in size and to be sprinkled almost homogeneously into the IF-CNTs similar to a bean-like deposition. CNTs diameter is also identified to be enlarged drastically when using Ge NPs as a catalyst in CVD compared to the CNTs formation without Ge NPs. In addition, micro-length rectangular Ge µPs are also found outside the nanotube core. Rietveld analysis shows the presence of γ-Fe (Fm-3m), ferromagnetic α-Fe (Im-3m), Fe3C, Ge (Fd-3m), and multiwall CNTs. The results indicate that Ge NPs and IF-CNTs demonstrate cocatalytic activity in increasing the respective sizes, which are dramatically larger than those obtained by the conventional approaches.
Open Access
Bifunctional highly fluorescent hollow porous microspheres made of BaMoO4: Pr3+ nanocrystals via a template-free synthesis
(The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2011) Yang, X.; Zhou, Y.; Yu, X.; Demir, Hilmi Volkan; Sun, X. W.
We report a bifunctional hollow porous microsphere composed of single-component BaMoO4 : Pr3+ nanocrystals by a facile template-free synthesis. All the as-synthesized hollow microspheres are well-dispersed with a diameter of 2-4 mu m and the BaMoO4 : Pr3+ nanocrystals measure 30-60 nm in diameter. It is observed that there are a large amount of pores with an average diameter is 17.5 nm in the shell of these BaMoO4 : Pr3+ hollow microspheres, thereby exhibiting a great promise for drug delivery. Meanwhile, the strong, narrow-bandwidth red emission centered at 643 nm from these nanostructures can be efficiently excited from 430 nm to 500 nm. The combination of excellent luminescent properties and a hollow porous nanostructure suggest a great promise in the application of these nanostructures in lighting and displays, and in biomedicine such as targeted drug delivery, integrated imaging, diagnosis, and therapeutics. In addition, the template-free solution synthesis can be applied to the design and fabrication of other functional architectures.
Open Access
Bimodal interventional instrument markers for magnetic particle imaging and magnetic resonance imaging—a proof-of-concept study
(MDPI, 2022-05-02) Wegner, Franz; Lüdtke-Buzug, Kerstin; Cremers, Sjef; Friedrich, Thomas; Sieren, Malte M.; Haegele, Julian; Koch, Martin A.; Borm, Paul; Buzug, Thorsten M.; Barkhausen, Joerg; Ahlborg, Mandy; Sarıtaş, Emine Ülkü
The purpose of this work was to develop instrument markers that are visible in both magnetic particle imaging (MPI) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The instrument markers were based on two different magnetic nanoparticle types (synthesized in-house KLB and commercial Bayoxide E8706). Coatings containing one of both particle types were fabricated and measured with a magnetic particle spectrometer (MPS) to estimate their MPI performance. Coatings based on both particle types were then applied on a segment of a nonmetallic guidewire. Imaging experiments were conducted using a commercial, preclinical MPI scanner and a preclinical 1 tesla MRI system. MPI image reconstruction was performed based on system matrices measured with dried KLB and Bayoxide E8706 coatings. The bimodal markers were clearly visible in both methods. They caused circular signal voids in MRI and areas of high signal intensity in MPI. Both the signal voids as well as the areas of high signal intensity were larger than the real marker size. Images that were reconstructed with a Bayoxide E8706 system matrix did not show sufficient MPI signal. Instrument markers with bimodal visibility are essential for the perspective of monitoring cardiovascular interventions with MPI/MRI hybrid systems. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Open Access
Bio-inspired hierarchically structured polymer fibers for anisotropic non-wetting surfaces
(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2017) Yunusa, M.; Ozturk, F. E.; Yildirim, A.; Tuvshindorj, U.; Kanik, M.; Bayındır, Mehmet
We demonstrate a rice leaf-like hierarchically textured polymer fiber array for anisotropic non-wetting surfaces. To provide superhydrophobicity in addition to the anisotropic behavior, fiber surfaces are spray coated with organically modified silica nanoparticles. The resulting micro/nano hierarchically structured fiber surfaces demonstrate anisotropic non-wetting properties. We designed various fiber architectures for droplet transportation, mixing, and guiding exploiting the scalability of the fiber texture during thermal drawing; optional nanoparticle surface modification; and inherent flexibility of the fibers.
Open Access
Capillary origami as a new method for printing nanoparticles on 3D surfaces
(Chemical and Biological Microsystems Society, 2016) Özkazanç, Gökçe; Erdem, Emine Yegan
We introduce capillary origami as a new method to print nanoparticles on curved, three dimensional polymer surfaces. When a liquid droplet containing nanoparticles is placed on a thin PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) membrane, as the droplet evaporates, it folds the surface and leaves nanoparticles on it. We produced curved surfaces covered with a layer of magnetic iron-oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles with this method. These coated surfaces can be moved in a magnetic field.
Open Access
Charge Trapping Memory with 2.85-nm Si-Nanoparticles Embedded in HfO2
(ECS, 2015-05) El-Atab, N.; Turgut, Berk Berkan; Okyay, Ali Kemal; Nayfeh, A.
In this work, the effect of embedding 2.85-nm Si-nanoparticles charge trapping layer in between double layers of high-κ Al2O3/HfO2 oxides is studied. Using high frequency (1 MHz) C-Vgate measurements, the memory showed a large memory window at low program/erase voltages due to the charging of the Si-nanoparticles. The analysis of the C-V characteristics shows that mixed charges are being stored in the Si-nanoparticles where electrons get stored during the program operation while holes dominate in the Si-nanoparticles during the erase operation. Moreover, the retention characteristic of the memory is studied by measuring the memory hysteresis in time. The obtained retention characteristic (35.5% charge loss in 10 years) is due to the large conduction and valence band offsets between the Si-nanoparticles and the Al2O3/HfO2 tunnel oxide. The results show that band engineering is essential in future low-power non-volatile memory devices. In addition, the results show that Si-nanoparticles are promising in memory applications.
Open Access
Chemically specific dynamic characterization of photovoltaic and photoconductivity effects of surface nanostructures
(American Chemical Society, 2010) Ekiz, O. Ö.; Mizrak, K.; Dâna, A.
We report characterization of photovoltaic and photoconductivity effects on nanostructured surfaces through light induced changes in the X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS). The technique combines the chemical specificity of XPS and the power of surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPV), with the addition of the ability to characterize photoconductivity under both static and dynamic optical excitation. A theoretical model that quantitatively describes the features of the observed spectra is presented. We demonstrate the applicability of the model on a multitude of sample systems, including homo- and heterojunction solar cells, CdS nanoparticles on metallic or semiconducting substrates, and carbon nanotube films on silicon substrates.
Open Access
Chiral ceramic nanoparticles and peptide catalysis
(American Chemical Society, 2017) Jiang S.; Chekini, M.; Qu, Z.-B.; Wang Y.; Yeltik A.; Liu, Y.; Kotlyar, A.; Zhang, T.; Li, B.; Demir, Hilmi Volkan; Kotov, N. A.
The chirality of nanoparticles (NPs) and their assemblies has been investigated predominantly for noble metals and II-VI semiconductors. However, ceramic NPs represent the majority of nanoscale materials in nature. The robustness and other innate properties of ceramics offer technological opportunities in catalysis, biomedical sciences, and optics. Here we report the preparation of chiral ceramic NPs, as represented by tungsten oxide hydrate, WO3-x·H2O, dispersed in ethanol. The chirality of the metal oxide core, with an average size of ca. 1.6 nm, is imparted by proline (Pro) and aspartic acid (Asp) ligands via bio-to-nano chirality transfer. The amino acids are attached to the NP surface through C-O-W linkages formed from dissociated carboxyl groups and through amino groups weakly coordinated to the NP surface. Surprisingly, the dominant circular dichroism bands for NPs coated by Pro and Asp are different despite the similarity in the geometry of the NPs; they are positioned at 400-700 nm and 500-1100 nm for Pro- and Asp-modified NPs, respectively. The differences in the spectral positions of the main chiroptical band for the two types of NPs are associated with the molecular binding of the two amino acids to the NP surface; Asp has one additional C-O-W linkage compared to Pro, resulting in stronger distortion of the inorganic crystal lattice and greater intensity of CD bands associated with the chirality of the inorganic core. The chirality of WO3-x·H2O atomic structure is confirmed by atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. The proximity of the amino acids to the mineral surface is associated with the catalytic abilities of WO3-x·H2O NPs. We found that NPs facilitate formation of peptide bonds, leading to Asp-Asp and Asp-Pro dipeptides. The chiroptical activity, chemical reactivity, and biocompatibility of tungsten oxide create a unique combination of properties relevant to chiral optics, chemical technologies, and biomedicine.
Open Access
Collagen-chitosan scaffold modified with Au and Ag nanoparticles: synthesis and structure
(Elsevier B.V., 2016) Rubina, M. S.; Kamitov, E. E.; Zubavichus, Y. V.; Peters, G. S.; Naumkin, A. V.; Süzer, Şefik; Vasil'kov, A. Y.
Nowadays, the dermal biomimetic scaffolds are widely used in regenerative medicine. Collagen-chitosan scaffold one of these materials possesses antibacterial activity, good compatibility with living tissues and has been already used as a wound-healing material. In this article, collagen-chitosan scaffolds modified with Ag and Au nanoparticles have been synthesized using novel method - the metal-vapor synthesis. The nanocomposite materials are characterized by XPS, TEM, SEM and synchrotron radiation-based X-ray techniques. According to XRD data, the mean size of the nanoparticles (NPs) is 10.5 nm and 20.2 nm in Au-Collagen-Chitosan (Au-CollCh) and Ag-Collagen-Chitosan (Ag-CollCh) scaffolds, respectively in fair agreement with the TEM data. SAXS analysis of the composites reveals an asymmetric size distribution peaked at 10 nm for Au-CollCh and 25 nm for Ag-CollCh indicative of particle's aggregation. According to SEM data, the metal-carrying scaffolds have layered structure and the nanoparticles are rather uniformly distributed on the surface material. XPS data indicate that the metallic nanoparticles are in their unoxidized/neutral states and dominantly stabilized within the chitosan-rich domains.
Open Access
Combination of Paclitaxel and R-flurbiprofen loaded PLGA nanoparticles suppresses glioblastoma growth on systemic administration
(Elsevier, 2020) Caban-Toktas, S.; Şahin, A.; Lule, S.; Esendagli, G.; Vural, İ.; Karlı-Oğuz, Kader K.; Söylemezoğlu, F.; Mut, M.; Dalkara, T.; Khan, M.; Capan, Y.
Malignant gliomas are highly lethal. Delivering chemotherapeutic drugs to the brain in sufficient concentration is the major limitation in their treatment due to the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Drug delivery systems may overcome this limitation and can improve the transportation through the BBB. Paclitaxel is an antimicrotubule agent with effective anticancer activity but limited BBB permeability. R-Flurbiprofen is a nonsteroidal antienflammatory drug and has potential anticancer activity. Accordingly, we designed an approach combining R-flurbiprofen and paclitaxel and positively-charged chitosan-modified poly-lactide-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) and to transport them to glioma tissue. NPs were characterized and, cytotoxicity and cellular uptake studies were carried out in vitro. The in vivo efficacy of the combination and formulations were evaluated using a rat RG2 glioma tumor model. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) modified and chitosan-coated PLGA NPs demonstrated efficient cytotoxic activity and were internalized by the tumor cells in RG2 cell culture. In vivo studies showed that the chitosan-coated and PEGylated NPs loaded with paclitaxel and R-flurbiprofen exhibited significantly higher therapeutic activity against glioma. In conclusion, PLGA NPs can efficiently carry their payloads to glioma tissue and the combined use of anticancer and anti-inflammatory drugs may exert additional anti-tumor activity.
Open Access
Comparative study of optically activated nanocomposites with photocatalytic TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles for massive environmental decontamination
(S P I E - International Society for Optical Engineering, 2007) Tek, S.; Mutlugun, E.; Soganci, I. M.; Perkgoz, N. K.; Yucel, D.; Celiker, G.; Demir, Hilmi Volkan
Nanocomposites that incorporate TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles separately in three-dimensional solgel matrices through full chemical integration are prepared to perform highly efficient photocatalytic activities for applications of environmental decontamination. Spectral responses of photocatalytic TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles exposed to UV activation for self-cleaning process were obtained as also their optical relative spectral efficiency curves from 270 to 370 nm in the UV regime. Our investigations of the optimal conditions to increase their spectral photocatalytic efficiencies resulted in remarkably high levels of optical recovery and efficiency.
Open Access
Comparative study of thin film n-i-p a-Si: H solar cells to investigate the effect of absorber layer thickness on the plasmonic enhancement using gold nanoparticles
(Elsevier Ltd, 2015) Islam, K.; Chowdhury F.I.; Okyay, Ali Kemal; Nayfeh, A.
In this paper, the effect of gold nanoparticles on n-i-p a-Si:H solar cells with different intrinsic layer (i-layer) thicknesses has been studied. 100nm and 500nm i-layer based n-i-p a-Si:H solar cells were fabricated and colloidal gold (Au) nanoparticles dispersed in water-based solution were spin-coated on the top surface of the solar cells. The Au nanoparticles are of spherical shape and have 100nm diameter. Electrical and quantum efficiency measurements were carried out and the results show an increase in short-circuit current density (Jsc), efficiency and external quantum efficiency (EQE) with the incorporation of the nanoparticles on both cells. Jsc increases from 5.91mA/cm2 to 6.5mA/cm2 (~10% relative increase) and efficiency increases from 3.38% to 3.97% (~17.5% relative increase) for the 100nm i-layer solar cell after plasmonic enhancement whereas Jsc increases from 9.34mA/cm2 to 10.1mA/cm2 (~7.5% relative increase) and efficiency increases from 4.27% to 4.99% (~16.9% relative increase) for the 500nm i-layer cell. The results show that plasmonic enhancement is more effective in 100nm than 500nm i-layer thickness for a-Si:H solar cells. Moreover, the results are discussed in terms of light absorption and electron hole pair generation. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.