COMPOSITE HAVING METAL MICROPARTICLES DISPERSED THEREIN AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION THEREOF, AND SUBSTRATE CAPABLE OF GENERATING LOCALIZED SURFACE PLASMON RESONANCE

摘要

A nanocomposite (10) comprises: a matrix layer (1) which comprises solid backbone parts (1a) and voids (1b) formed by the solid backbone parts (1a); and metal microparticles (3) which are fixed on the solid backbone parts (1a) of the matrix layer (1). The solid backbone parts (1a) comprise an aluminum oxyhydroxide or an alumina hydrate and form a three-dimensional network structure. In the metal microparticles (3), metal microparticles having an average particle diameter falling within the range of 3-100 nm and particle diameters falling within the range of 1-100 nm make up 60% or more of the metal microparticles (3). The metal microparticles (3) exist in such a manner that the metal microparticles (3) are not in contact with one another and any two adjacent metal microparticles (3) are apart from each other by a distance that is equal to or greater than the particle diameter (D L ) of one of the two adjacent metal microparticles (3) which has a larger particle diameter (D) than that of the other one. Each of the metal microparticles (3) has a part that is exposed to the voids (1b) of the matrix layer (1), and the metal microparticles (3) exist in a state dispersed three-dimensionally in the matrix layer (1).