The influence of ion assistance energy on structural and optical properties of carbon-silver nanocomposites

Highlights: • Carbon films with silver inclusions deposited by ion-assisted pulse-plasma technique. • Ion-induced changes in phase composition and clustering of carbon matrix revealed. • Ag nanoparticles faceting with ion energy increase led to plasmonic absorbance rise. • Absorbance slope variation with assistance energy attributed to π-π* transition peak. Amorphous carbon structures containing silver nanoparticle inclusions were synthesized by ion-assisted pulse-plasma deposition. Coatings were investigated by transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction, electron energy loss spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectroscopy. Ion assistance energy variation was found to affect silver nanoparticles shape, carbon matrix composition and clustering. UV-Vis absorption spectra dependence on the structural changes was discussed.