Shape, Size, and Orientation Effects in Homogenized Composite Materials: A Case Study Based on Golden Vaterite

Homogenization formalisms require the constitutive parameters of the component materials of a composite material, together with parameters that characterize the shapes, orientations, sizes, and distributions of the component particles. As an example, the homogenization of vaterite impregnated with gold nanoparticles was accomplished using the extended Maxwell Garnett formalism. The extended formalism takes into account the intrinsic anisotropy of vaterite as well as the size, shape, and orientation of the nanoparticles. Size-dependent permittivity was used for the gold nanoparticles. Numerical studies revealed that the homogenized composite material’s permittivity parameters are acutely sensitive to the size, shape, orientation, and volume fraction of the gold nanoparticles.