Delicate thermodynamic control at confined space has been of importance in recent nano/microplasmonic sensing to be more accurate and to use lower quantity of specimens than conventional devices. In our study, experimental and computational study on thermal behavior of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was carried out using various sizes of Au nanoparticles (NPs; 4, 18, and 57 nm) and thermo-reversible polymer, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) on SPR chip. It was interesting that SPR angle shift on temperature was dependent on NP sizes, where the smaller size the better sensitive. It is probable that both plasmonic interaction and polymer dynamicity were collaboratively affected and presumably the latter dominated in the thermal monitoring of SPR signals. The simulations clearly indicated that the interaction between the Au NPs and polymers was strengthened by increasing temperature and NP sizes, resulting in decreasing sensitivity. These results are supportive to develop further accurate devices using plasmonics and polymer dynamics, such as plasmonic sensing devices, thermo-actuators, hybrid organic solar cell, and flexible display. (C) 2013 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.