E-Mail IMAGE: Rice University scientists coupled gold nanoparticles with soft polymers that pull energy from the gold's plasmonic response to light. That energy can then be used to potentially catalyze chemical reactions.... view more Credit: Emily Searles/Rice University HOUSTON - (Dec. 22, 2020) - Bigger is not always better, but here's something that starts small and gets better as it gets bigger. Just light it up and see. A team led by Rice University chemists Christy Landes and Stephan Link, both associated with the Smalley-Curl Institute, have made hybrid particles that combine the unbeatable light-harvesting properties of plasmonic nanoparticles with the flexibility of catalytic polymer coatings. Their work could help power long-pursued plasmonic applications in electronics, imaging, sensing and medicine.