Thiosalicylic acid-functionalized silver nanoparticles synthesized in one-phase system

A series of silver colloidal dispersions were prepared by two protocols, i.e., addition of the reductant-NaBH(4) and the stabilizer-thiosalicylic acid (TSA) into Ag(+) solution simultaneously or successively. The products were compared and characterized by TEM, electrochemical measurements, XPS, UV-vis, and FT-IR spectra. The size distributions of the Ag nanoparticles prepared by the former and latter protocols are bimodal and monodisperse, respectively. The analytic results of UV-vis spectra coincide with the TEM observation. A tentative explanation was given to the relationship between particle sizes and different synthetic protocols. The changes of the reduction potential of the reductant invoked a variance in particle diameter and size distribution. Electrochemical measurements corroborated our assumption. The composition information of TSA-derived silver nanoparticles was obtained from XPS and FT-IR spectroscopic measurements.     

Comparison of structures of gold nanoparticles synthesized by pulsed laser ablation and magnetron sputtering

We present the results of studying the structure of gold nanoparticles synthesized on the silicon surface by two techniques: pulsed laser ablation and magnetron sputtering. The surface morphology is examined by scanning electron microscopy. The structure of the obtained gold nanoparticles is analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. It is shown that nanoparticle sizes and crystal structures can be controlled by their thermal annealing. Mechanisms occurring during annealing of thin gold films and also their effect on the formation of nanoparticles with different structures are investigated.     

Mechanistic insights on one-phase vs. two-phase Brust-Schiffrin method synthesis of Au nanoparticles with dioctyl-diselenides

Metal precursors in the one-phase (1p) and two-phase (2p) Brust-Schiffrin method (BSM) synthesis of Au nanoparticles (NPs) using dioctyl-diselenides were identified. A single dominant type of metal precursor was found in the 1p synthesis as compared to multiple ones in the 2p synthesis, which was proposed as the key reason why the former is better than the latter.     

A "nanonecklace" synthesized from monofunctionalized gold nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles with a single carboxylic acid group on the surface were prepared from a solid phase place exchange reaction and then coupled to polylysine using an in situ activation agent, diisopropylcarbodiimide (DIPCDI). The covalent amide bond linkage between the nanoparticles and polylysine and the ring closure of the polylysine chain have led to the formation of a nanoparticle/polymer hybrid material with "nanonecklace" structures.     

Morphology of gold nanoparticles synthesized by filamentous cyanobacteria from gold(I)-thiosulfate and gold(III)--chloride complexes

Plectonema boryanum UTEX 485, a filamentous cyanobacterium, has been reacted with aqueous Au(S(2)O(3))(2)(3)(-) and AuCl(4)(-) solutions ( approximately 400-550 mg/L Au) at 25-100 degrees C for up to 1 month and at 200 degrees C for 1 day. The interaction of cyanobacteria with aqueous Au(S(2)O(3))(2)(3)(-) promoted the precipitation of cubic (100) gold nanoparticles (<10-25 nm) at membrane vesicles and admixed with gold sulfide within cells and encrusted on the cyanobacteria, whereas reaction with AuCl(4)(-) resulted in the precipitation of octahedral (111) gold platelets ( approximately 1-10 microm) in solutions and nanoparticles of gold (<10 nm) within bacterial cells. Functional groups imaged by negative ion TOF-SIMS on (111) faces of the octahedral platelets were predominantly Cl and CN, with smaller amounts of C(2)H and CNO.     

Evaluation of methods to predict reactivity of gold nanoparticles

Several methods have appeared in the literature for predicting reactivity on metallic surfaces and on the surface of metallic nanoparticles. All of these methods have some relationship to the concept of frontier molecular orbital theory. The d-band theory of Hammer and N?rskov is perhaps the most widely used predictor of reactivity on metallic surfaces, and it has been successfully applied in many cases. Use of the Fukui function and the condensed Fukui function is well established in organic chemistry, but has not been so widely applied in predicting the reactivity of metallic nanoparticles. In this article, we will evaluate the usefulness of the condensed Fukui function in predicting the reactivity of a family of cubo-octahedral gold nanoparticles and make comparison with the d-band method.     

Comparison of water-soluble CdTe nanoparticles synthesized in air and in nitrogen

It is commonly believed that high-quality CdTe nanoparticles with strong luminescence can only be prepared under the protection of an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon. Here, we report the preparation of highly luminescent CdTe nanoparticles in air and compare their luminescence properties with CdTe nanoparticles made in nitrogen. We find that both water-soluble CdTe nanoparticles made in air and in nitrogen exhibit strong photoluminescence as well as upconversion luminescence at room temperature. However, differences do exist between the particles made in air and those made in nitrogen. In particular, the particles prepared in air display a faster growth rate, grow to larger sizes, and display stronger electron coupling relative to the particles prepared in nitrogen. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicates that the oxygen content in the nanoparticles synthesized in air is higher that that in particles synthesized in N(2), likely resulting in a higher availability of excess free cadmium. Cytotoxicity measurements reveal that the particles made in air appear slightly more toxic, possibly due to the excess of free cadmium.     

One-step one-phase synthesis of monodisperse noble-metallic nanoparticles and their colloidal crystals

A variety of metallic nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution have been synthesized in a facile one-phase method in which amine-borane complexes are applied as reducing agents. It is particularly striking that large colloidal crystals with sizes up to tens of micrometers can directly form from the reaction mixtures without any further treatment. By using the synthetic route described, large-scale syntheses of both mono- and alloyed metallic nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution can be easily achieved.     

Chemiluminescent reactions induced by gold nanoparticles

The reaction of gold nanoparticles with a potassium periodate-sodium hydroxide-carbonate system undergoes chemiluminescence with three emission bands at 380-390, 430-450, and 490-500 nm, respectively. It was found that the light intensity increased linearly with the concentration of the gold nanoparticles, and the CL intensity increased dramatically when the citrate ions on the nanoparticle surface were replaced by SCN(-). The shape, size, and oxidation state of gold nanoparticles after the chemiluminescent reaction were characterized by UV-visible absorption spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS). Gold nanoparticles are supposed to function as a nanosized platform for the observed chemiluminescent reactions. A chemiluminescent mechanism has been proposed in which the interaction between free CO(3)(*-) and O(2)(*-) radicals generated by a KIO(4)-NaOH-Na(2)CO(3) system and gold nanoparticles results in the formation of emissive intermediate gold(I) complexes, carbon dioxide dimers, and singlet oxygen molecular pairs on the surface of the gold nanoparticles. This work is not only of great importance for gaining a better understanding of the unique optical and surface properties and chemical reactivity of nanoparticles but also of great potential for developing new biosensing and immunolabeling technologies.     

Functional silica nanoparticles synthesized by water-in-oil microemulsion processes

Water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion is a well-suitable confined reacting medium for the synthesis of structured functional nanoparticles of controlled size and shape. During the last decade, it allowed the synthesis of multi-functional silica nanoparticles with morphologies as various as core–shell, homogenous dispersion or both together. The morphology and properties of the different intermediates and final materials obtained through this route are discussed in the light of UV–Vis–NIR spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and magnetometer SQUID analysis.     

Dendritic polyaniline nanoparticles synthesized by carboxymethyl chitin templating

Dendritic polyaniline (PANI) nanoparticles were synthesized via oxidative polymerization of aniline, using ammoniumperoxodisulfate as an oxidant, and CM-chitin as a template. The reaction was performed under acidic conditions and the template was removed after the polymerization was completed. Molecular characterization (including UV-vis, FTIR, TGA, and XRD) suggests that the structure of the synthesized dendritic PANI nanoparticles is identical to that of the emeraldine form of PANI, synthesized by the conventional route (without the addition of the CM-chitin template). SEM images reveal that the dendritic PANI nanoparticles have an average diameter in the nanometer range, and are globular in shape, with radially oriented PANI dendrites; in contrast, irregularly-shaped aggregates of PANI are obtained using the conventional synthesis. It was further found that the size of the dendritic PANI nanoparticles is dependent on the CM-chitin content. The higher the CM-chitin concentration, the smaller is the size of the dendritic PANI nanoparticles obtained. An interpretation of these observations and a possible formation mechanism are proposed based on self-assembly between the CM-chitin chains and the aniline monomer.     

Analysis of time-dependent conjugation of gold nanoparticles with an antiparkinsonian molecule by using curve resolution methods

In this work, the time-dependent conjugation process between a thiolated molecule (with anti-parkinsonian properties) and gold nanoparticles has been monitored and studied by the combined use of fast acquisition Ultra Violet–Visible (UV–Vis) spectra and the ability of Multivariate Curve Resolution-Alternating Least Squares (MCR-ALS) technique. From the highly informative kinetic profiles obtained it was possible to extract quantitative and qualitative information of the conjugation process which includes i) time-dependent concentration profiles and pure spectra of species involved on conjugation process, ii) estimation of molecule concentration necessary for the completeness of the conjugation reaction, iii) molecule footprint and iv) free energy of molecule adsorption.     

Synthesis and study of gold nanoparticles stabilized by bioflavonoids

A new procedure for the preparation of biocompatible gold nanoparticles using bioflavonoids: rutin, quercetin, and luteolin as reducing agents and stabilizers was proposed. On varying the bioflavonoid concentration, nanoparticles of different size are formed. By the combined use of spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy, the nanoparticle size was estimated (40–50 nm). Uniform and highly dispersed gold nanoparticles were obtained at Au: rutin ratios of 1: 1, 2: 1, and 4: 1 and Au: quercetin ratios of 2: 1 and 4: 1. The nanoparticle yield remains almost constant as the Au: rutin ratio varies over a broad range from 1: 1 to 12: 1. It was suggested that complete reduction of Au^III to Au⁰ with a large excess of Au is accompanied by extensive oxidation of bioflavonoid involving an intermediate oxidant formed in the system due to the high oxidative capacity of Au^III. For elucidating the catalytic role of bioflavonoids in the formation of gold nanoparticles, quantum chemical modeling of the process was performed.     

Nucleation of isotactic polypropylene crystallization by gold nanoparticles

Nucleation of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) crystallization by gold (Au) nanoparticles was studied. Regardless of their size, 4.3, 8.8, 28.3, and 84.5 nm, all particles were able to nucleate spherulites when deposited on the iPP surface. However, when added and melt‐mixed with iPP, only the smallest particles affected significantly the iPP bulk crystallization. Au nanoparticles larger than 4.3 nm, at the concentration of 0.001 wt %, did not influence the crystallization of iPP. Contrary to this, 0.001 and 0.005 wt % of Au nanoparticles having the size of 4.3 nm increased crystallization temperature of the iPP by 7–8 °C and decreased markedly the sizes of polycrystalline aggregates. Aggregation of Au nanoparticles in the polymer matrix was evidenced by electron microscopy and contributed to their decreased effectiveness in the nucleation of iPP crystallization. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 469–478, 2010     

Photothermal ablation of amyloid aggregates by gold nanoparticles

Amyloid peptide (Aβ) is found in the brain and blood of both healthy and diseased individuals alike. However, upon secondary structure transformation to a β-sheet dominated conformation, the protein aggregates. These aggregates accumulate to form neuritic plaques that are implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Gold nanoparticles are excellent photon-thermal energy converters. The extinction coefficient of the surface plasmon band of gold nanoparticles is very large when compared to typical organic dyes. In this study, gold nanoparticle–Aβ conjugates were prepared and the photothermal ablation of amyloid peptide aggregates by laser irradiation was studied. Monofunctional gold nanoparticles were prepared using a recently reported solid phase modification method and then coupled to fragments of Aβ peptide, namely Aβ(31–35) and Aβ(25–35). The conjugates were then mixed with Aβ fragments in solution. The aggregated peptide formation was studied by a series of spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The peptide aggregates were then irradiated by a continuous laser. With gold nanoparticle–Aβ conjugates present the aggregates were destroyed by photothermal ablation. Gold nanoparticles without Aβ conjugation were not incorporated into the aggregates and when irradiated did not result in photothermal ablation. With gold nanoparticle–Aβ conjugates the ablation was selective to the site of irradiation and minimal damage was observed as a result of thermal diffusion. In addition to the application of photoablation to a protein-based sample the nanoparticles and the chemistry involved provide an easily monofunctionalized photothermal material for the biological conjugation.     

Assembly of gold nanoparticles mediated by multifunctional fullerenes

The understanding of the interparticle interactions of nanocomposite structures assembled using molecularly capped metal nanoparticles and macromolecular mediators as building blocks is essential for exploring the fine-tunable interparticle spatial and macromolecular properties. This paper reports the results of an investigation of the chemically tunable multifunctional interactions between fullerenes (1-(4-methyl)-piperazinyl fullerene, MPF) and gold nanoparticles. The interparticle spatial properties are defined by the macromolecular and multifunctional electrostatic interactions between the negatively charged nanoparticles and the positively charged fullerenes. In addition to characterization of the morphological properties, the surface plasmon resonance band, dynamic light scattering, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) properties of the MPF-mediated assembly and disassembly processes have been determined. The change of the optical properties depends on the pH and electrolyte concentrations. The detection of the Raman-active vibration modes (Ag(2) and Hg(8)) of C60 and the determination of their particle size dependence have demonstrated that the adsorption of MPF on the nanoparticle surface in the MPF-Au nm assembly is responsible for the SERS effect. These findings provide new insights into the delineation between the interparticle interactions and the nanostructural properties for potential applications of the nanocomposite materials in spectroscopic and optical sensors and in controlled releases.