%0 Journal Article %J Chem. Soc. Rev. %D 2005 %T Why gold nanoparticles are more precious than pretty gold: Noble metal surface plasmon resonance and its enhancement of the radiative and nonradiative properties of nanocrystals of different shapes %A Eustis, Susie %A El-Sayed, Mostafa A. %K display %X This tutorial review presents an introduction to the field of noble metal nanoparticles and their current applications. The origin of the surface plasmon resonance and synthesis procedures are described. A number of applications are presented that take advantage of the electromagnetic field enhancement of the radiative properties of noble metal nanoparticles resulting from the surface plasmon oscillations. %B Chem. Soc. Rev. %I The Royal Society of Chemistry %V 35 %P 209-217 %G eng %N 3 %R 10.1039/B514191E