Preparation, characterization, and chemical stability of gold nanoparticles coated with mono-, bis-, and tris-chelating alkanethiols

A systematically varying series of monolayer-protected clusters (MPCs) was prepared by exposing small gold nanoparticles ( approximately 2 nm in diameter) to the following four adsorbates: n-octadecanethiol ( n - C18), 2-hexadecylpropane-1,3-dithiol ( C18C2), 2-hexadecyl-2-methylpropane-1,3-dithiol ( C18C3), and 1,1,1-tris(mercaptomethyl)heptadecane ( t - C18). The resultant MPCs were characterized by solubility studies, UV-vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). All of the MPCs were soluble in common organic solvents; moreover, analysis by TEM showed that the core dimensions were unaffected by exposure to any of the adsorbates. Separate studies by XPS revealed that the sulfur atoms in all MPCs were predominantly bound to the surface of gold (i.e., approximately 85% or better). Analysis by FT-IR showed that MPCs functionalized with n - C18 possessed alkyl chains having the greatest conformational order in both the solid-state and dispersed in solution; in contrast, those generated from the other three adsorbates were more liquid-like with reduced conformational order (or crystallinity). The rate of nanoparticle decomposition induced by cyanide ions was monitored by UV-vis spectroscopy. While MPCs functionalized with n - C18 showed the fastest rate of decomposition, those functionalized with C18C3 were the most resistant to decomposition. Overall, the following trend in chemical stability was observed, C18C3 > C18C2 > t - C18 > n - C18.     

Thioalkylated tetraethylene glycol: a new ligand for water soluble monolayer protected gold clusters

Ligand-stabilised, water-soluble gold nanoparticles of two different size ranges (2-4 and 5-8 nm) are readily prepared using monohydroxy (1-mercaptoundec-11-yl) tetraethylene glycol as a novel capping agent. These nanoparticles are as stable as alkylthiol-capped monolayer protected clusters (MPCs) and do not aggregate from aqueous solution under a wide range of stringent conditions. It is expected that this new material will be useful for a number of bio-analytical applications.     

金纳米粒子表面自组装巯基十一烷醇单分子层体系的制备及其光散射特性研究

采用柠檬酸钠还原法制备了水相金纳米粒子, 通过巯基的自组装, 成功获得了巯基十一烷醇(MUN)单分子层保护的金纳米粒子. 用紫外可见光谱、透射电子显微镜、激光散射粒度分析、同步散射光谱和发射光谱等手段对组装前后的金纳米粒子的性质进行了研究. 结果表明: 制备的金纳米粒子最大吸收波长518 nm, 形状规则, 粒度均匀, 平均粒径为14.6 nm, 每个粒子含有约9.64×10⁴原子; 组装之后的金纳米粒子表面等离子体共振吸收峰红移17.0 nm, 平均粒径增大为20.2 nm, 组装层的平均厚度2.8 nm, 与MUN分子长度相当, 结合量实验证明每一个金纳米粒子可以结合约7.52×10³个MUN, 表面覆盖率为83.6%, 粒子分散均匀, 稳定性增强可长期保存; 同步散射光谱变化和发射光谱中分频、差频和倍频峰的存在证明, 金纳米粒子组装前后均具有非线性光学特性.     

ω-Thioacetylalkylphosphonium salts: Precursors for the preparation of phosphonium-functionalised gold nanoparticles

Two new ω-thioacetylalkylphosphonium salts that function as masked cationic alkanethiolate ligands for the stabilisation of gold nanoparticles have been prepared. Both (3-thioacetylpropyl)triphenylphosphonium bromide and (6-thioacetylhexyl)triphenylphosphonium bromide were shown to form water-soluble gold nanoparticles of ca. 5-10 nm in size that are stable for up to six months. The related (3-thioacetylpropyl)diphenylphosphine oxide was also prepared but did not act as a stabilising ligand in gold nanoparticle formation.     

Dendrimers as a scaffold for nitric oxide release

The preparation and characterization of nitric oxide (NO)-releasing dendrimer conjugates are reported. Generation 3 and 5 polypropylenimine dendrimers (DAB-Am-16 and DAB-Am-64) were modified at the exterior to impart different amine functionalities. The ability to store NO on a dendritic scaffold using N-diazeniumdiolate NO donors was examined via the reaction of primary amine, secondary amine, and amide functionalities with high pressures of NO (5 atm). The secondary amine dendrimer conjugates exhibited a high storage capacity for NO (up to 5.6 micromol NO/mg), greatly increasing the "payload" of released NO over existing macromolecular NO donors. The mechanism of diazeniumdiolate decomposition was proton initiated, generating NO spontaneously under physiological conditions (pH 7.4, 37 degrees C). The NO release durations (>16 h) observed for the secondary amine dendrimers were significantly longer compared to small molecule alkyl secondary amine diazeniumdiolates, thus illustrating a dendritic effect on NO release kinetics. The multivalent exterior of dendrimers allows for the future combination of NO donors and other functionalities on a single molecular scaffold, enabling diverse utility as NO storage/delivery systems.     

Supramolecular layer-by-layer assembly: alternating adsorptions of guest- and host-functionalized molecules and particles using multivalent supramolecular interactions

The stepwise construction of a novel kind of self-assembled organic/inorganic multilayers based on multivalent supramolecular interactions between guest-functionalized dendrimers and host-modified gold nanoparticles has been developed, yielding supramolecular layer-by-layer assembly. The deposition process was monitored by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy. Further characterization of the multilayer films was performed by means of UV/vis absorption spectroscopy, which showed a linear increase in absorption with the number of bilayers. The growth of the gold nanoparticle plasmon absorption band corresponded to approximately a dense monolayer of gold nanoparticles per bilayer. Ellipsometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM) scratching experiments were used to measure the development of the film thickness with the number of bilayers, confirming linear growth and a thickness increase of approximately 2 nm/bilayer.     

Architecture of linear arrays of fluorinated co-oligomeric nanocomposite-encapsulated gold nanoparticles: a new approach to the development of gold nanoparticles possessing an extremely red-shifted absorption characteristic

Fluoroalkyl end-capped co-oligomeric nanoparticles, which were prepared by the reaction of fluoroalkanoyl peroxide with 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS) and 1-hydroxy-5-adamantylacrylate (Ad-HAc), were applied to the preparation of novel fluorinated co-oligomeric nanocomposite-encapsulated gold nanoparticles. These fluorinated gold nanocomposites were easily prepared by the reductions of gold ions with poly(methylhydrosiloxane) (PMHS) in the presence of the corresponding fluorinated nanoparticles and tri -n-octylamine (TOA) in 1,2-dichloroethane (DE) at room temperature. These fluorinated gold nanoparticles were isolated as wine-red powders and were found to exhibit good dispersibility in a variety of traditional organic solvents such as DE, methanol, and t-butyl alcohol to afford transparent wine-red solutions. The morphology and stability of these fluorinated co-oligomeic nanocomposite-encapsulated gold nanoparticles were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering measurements (DLS), and UV-vis spectroscopy. DLS measurements and UV-vis spectroscopy showed that these particles are nanometer-size-controlled very fine nanoparticles (185-218 nm) that exhibit a plasmon absorption band at around 530 nm. TEM images also showed that gold nanoparticles are tightly encapsulated into fluorinated co-oligomeric nanoparticle cores. Interestingly, these fluorinated co-oligomeric nanocomposites-encapsulated gold nanoparticles were found to afford linear arrays of these fluorinated nanoparticles with increases in the feed amounts of TOA. More interestingly, these fluorinated gold nanoparticles were able to afford the extremely red-shifted plasmon absorption band at around 960 nm.     

A biologically friendly single step method for gold nanoparticle formation

There has been a keen interest for developing a biologically friendly approach for the preparation of gold nanoparticles for their application reasons. A biocompatible, quick and single step method is established for the preparation of gold nanoparticles in lecithin (Egg phosphatidylcholine)/water systems where lecithin itself acts as a reductant for hydrogen tetrachloro aurate (HAuCl(4)) to form the gold nanoparticles. Small gold nanoparticles (5-7 nm in diameter) were prepared in lamellar phases formed by lecithin within 6-7h of HAuCl(4) addition. Sonication of aqueous mixture of lecithin/HAuCl(4) reduces the time of reduction process to seconds when a sonicator with probe (100 W) is used. Most of the particles are found attached to lecithin structures and are comparatively large in size. Some 10nm particles are found attached to small lecithin vesicles (～100 nm) formed during sonication. The nanoparticles formed were stabilized by an anionic surfactant sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) which proved to be a good stabilizer, the nanoparticles being stable up to six months. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report where a biological surfactant lecithin itself has acted as a reductant and no other chemical reductants were required for the gold nanoparticle formation. Particles were characterized by Uv-vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Lamellar phases were characterized by a polarizing microscope.     

金纳米粒子-胱氨酸三维网状结构的形成及其光谱特性研究

用柠檬酸三钠还原法制备了水溶性金纳米粒子, 粒子的平均粒径为4.5 nm, 它与胱氨酸作用后, 胱氨酸利用双硫键在其表面成功地进行了自组装, 获得了金纳米粒子-胱氨酸的三维网状结构. 用紫外-可见光谱、光散射光谱、透射电子显微镜等手段对胱氨酸组装前后的金纳米粒子进行了表征. 结果显示, 粒子与粒子之间, 通过静电引力形成了离子键, 吸收光谱变化明显, 金纳米粒子特征吸收峰由组装前518 nm红移到670 nm, 溶液颜色也相应由酒红色变为蓝紫色, 求出了金纳米粒子-胱氨酸三维网状结构形成过程中胱氨酸的最佳量, 金与胱氨酸的物质的量比为1∶1. 对于4.5 nm的金纳米粒子, 只有14%左右的胱氨酸在金纳米粒子的表面进行了自组装, 而多余的86%的胱氨酸未与金纳米粒子作用; 其共振瑞利散射光谱具有潜在的应用价值. 该研究对以金纳米粒子为基础的新材料制备进行了有益的探索.     

Production of Gold nanoparticles in aqueous solutions of cellulose derivatives

It is shown that gold nanoparticles can be produced using cellulose ethers, methylhydroxyethyl cellulose, and carboxymethyl cellulose as reducing agents that also play the role of nanoparticle stabilizers. Depending on the synthesis conditions, nanoparticle sizes vary in the range of 20–100 nm. The application of carboxymethyl cellulose as a stabilizer may give rise to the formation of a bimodal ensemble of nanoparticles with sizes of 4–5 and 30–40 nm. The differences in the mechanisms for the reduction and stabilization of gold nanoparticles in the presence of these cellulose derivatives are established by IR spectroscopy. The obtained colloidal dispersions of gold nanoparticles remain stable for a long time.     

Synthesis of hafnium oxide-gold core-shell nanoparticles

Developing cheap composite nanoparticle systems that combines a high dielectric constant with good conductivity is important for the future of the electronic industry. In this study, two different sizes, 7.3 ± 2.2 and 5.6 ± 1.9 nm, of HfO(2)@Au core-shell nanoparticles are prepared by using a high-temperature reduction method. The core-shell nanoparticles are characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. HfO(2) exhibits no absorption in the visible region, but the HfO(2)@Au core-shell nanoparticles show a plasmon absorption band at 555 nm that is 25 nm red-shifted as compared to pure gold nanoparticles. According to transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis, the HfO(2) particles are coated with approximately three atomic layers of gold.     

Synthesis of nanoparticle-cored dendrimers by convergent dendritic functionalization of monolayer-protected nanoparticles

This article presents a synthesis method for nanoparticle-cored dendrimers (NCDs), which have dendritic architectures around a monolayer-protected gold nanoparticle. The synthesis method is based on a strategy in which the synthesis of monolayer-protected nanoparticles is followed by adding dendrons on functionalized nanoparticles by a single coupling reaction. NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) characterizations confirmed the successful coupling reaction between dendrons with different generations ([G1], [G2], and [G3]) and COOH-functionalized nanoparticles ( approximately Au201L71). The dendrimer wedge density also could be controlled by reacting nanoparticles having different loading of COOH groups ( approximately 60 and approximately 10% COOH of the 71 ligands per gold nanoparticle) with functionalized dendrons. Transmission electron microscope results showed that this synthesis strategy maintains the average size of the nanoparticle core during dendron coupling reactions. This control over the composition and core size makes the systematic study of NCDs with different generations possible. The chemical stability of NCDs was found to be affected by dendron generation around the nanoparticle core. The current-potential response of NCD films on microelectrode arrays exhibited better electrical conductivity for NCDs with lower dendron generation.     

Thiolate ligands for synthesis of water-soluble gold clusters

Water-soluble monolayer-protected gold clusters (MPCs) have been an object of investigation by many research groups since their first syntheses were reported in 1998 and 1999. The basic requirements for a ligand to form a monolayer protecting a gold cluster were established some time ago for alkanethiolate MPCs, but there has been no such information published for water-soluble MPCs. We identify 6 new ligands capable of forming water-soluble MPCs, as well as 22 water-soluble ligands that fail to form MPCs. Our findings contribute not only to the definition of the requirements for MPC formation but also to the variety of MPCs available for applications in chemistry and biology.     

Preparation, characterization, and optical properties of gold, silver, and gold-silver alloy nanoshells having silica cores

This report describes the structural and optical properties of a series of spherical shell/core nanoparticles in which the shell is comprised of a thin layer of gold, silver, or gold-silver alloy, and the core is comprised of a monodispersed silica nanoparticle. The silica core particles were prepared using the St?ber method, functionalized with terminal amine groups, and then seeded with small gold nanoparticles (approximately 2 nm in diameter). The gold-seeded silica particles were coated with a layer of gold, silver, or gold-silver alloy via solution-phase reduction of an appropriate metal ion or mixture of metal ions. The size, morphology, and elemental composition of the composite nanoparticles were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The optical properties of the nanoparticles were analyzed by UV-vis spectroscopy, which showed strong absorptions ranging from 400 nm into the near-IR region, where the position of the plasmon band reflected not only the thickness of the metal shell, but also the nature of the metal comprising the shell. Importantly, the results demonstrate a new strategy for tuning the position of the plasmon resonance without having to vary the core diameter or the shell thickness.     

Extinction coefficient of gold nanoparticles with different sizes and different capping ligands

Extinction coefficients of gold nanoparticles with core size ranging from approximately 4 to 40 nm were determined by high resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis and UV-vis absorption spectroscopic measurement. Three different types of gold nanoparticles were prepared and studied: citrate-stabilized nanoparticles in five different sizes; oleylamide-protected gold nanoparticles with a core diameter of 8 nm, and a decanethiol-protected nanoparticle with a diameter of around 4 nm. A linear relationship between the logarithms of extinction coefficients and core diameters of gold particles was found independent of the capping ligands on the particle surface and the solvents used to dissolve the nanoparticles. This linear relation may be used as a calibration curve to determine the concentration or average size of an unknown nanoparticle or nanoparticle-biomolecule conjugate sample.     

Surface characterization of immunosensor conjugated with gold nanoparticles based on cyclic voltammetry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

This investigation describes the surface characterization of rabbit immunoglobulin G (IgG) conjugated with gold nanoparticles. Goat anti-rabbit immunoglobulin G tagged with 5 nm gold nanoparticles was applied to detect the IgG. Then, the autocatalyzed deposition of Au³⁺ onto the surface of anti-IgGAu increased the surface area per gold nanoparticle. The immobilization chemistries and the atomic concentrations of Au_4f, P_2p, S_2p, C_1s, N_1s and O_1s of the resulting antibody-modified Au electrodes were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The sulfur that is involved in the cysteamine binding and the enlargement of the gold nanoparticles are identified using cyclic voltammetry. The results reveal that the surface area per gold particle, following the autocatalyzed deposition Au³⁺ on the surface of anti-IgGAu, was approximately seven times higher than that before deposition.     

Controlling the Surface Functionalization of Ultrasmall Gold Nanoparticles by Sequence-Defined Macromolecules

Ultrasmall gold nanoparticles (diameter about 2 nm) were surface-functionalized with cysteine-carrying precision macromolecules. These consisted of sequence-defined oligo(amidoamine)s (OAAs) with either two or six cysteine molecules for binding to the gold surface and either with or without a PEG chain (3400 Da). They were characterized by ¹H NMR spectroscopy, ¹H NMR diffusion-ordered spectroscopy (DOSY), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The number of precision macromolecules per nanoparticle was determined after fluorescent labeling by UV spectroscopy and also by quantitative ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Each nanoparticle carried between 40 and 100 OAA ligands, depending on the number of cysteine units per OAA. The footprint of each ligand was about 0.074 nm² per cysteine molecule. OAAs are well suited to stabilize ultrasmall gold nanoparticles by selective surface conjugation and can be used to selectively cover their surface. The presence of the PEG chain considerably increased the hydrodynamic diameter of both dissolved macromolecules and macromolecule-conjugated gold nanoparticles.     

Silica-void-gold nanoparticles: temporally stable surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates

Reproducible detection of a target molecule is demonstrated using temporally stable solution-phase silica-void-gold nanoparticles and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). These composite nanostructures are homogeneous (diameter = 45 +/- 4 nm) and entrap single 13 nm gold nanoparticle cores inside porous silica membranes which prevent electromagnetic coupling and aggregation between adjacent nanoparticles. The optical properties of the gold nanoparticle cores and structural changes of the composite nanostructures are characterized using extinction spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy, respectively, and both techniques are used to monitor the formation of the silica membrane. The resulting nanostructures exhibit temporally stable optical properties in the presence of salt and 2-naphthalenethiol. Similar SERS spectral features are observed when 2-naphthalenethiol is incubated with both bare and membrane-encapsulated gold nanoparticles. Disappearance of the S-H Raman vibrational band centered at 2566 cm(-1) with the composite nanoparticles indicates that the target molecule is binding directly to the metal surface. Furthermore, these nanostructures exhibit reproducible SERS signals for at least a 2 h period. This first demonstration of utilizing solution-phase silica-void-gold nanoparticles as reproducible SERS substrates will allow for future fundamental studies in understanding the mechanisms of SERS using solution-phase nanostructures as well as for applications that involve the direct and reproducible detection of biological and environmental molecules.     

Regioselective Bridging Calix[6]arenes: Synthesis and X-ray Structure of Trisbridged Calix[6]arene

The preparation and characterization of gold nanoparticles (～6 nm in diameter) modified with mono-6-thio-β-cyclodextrin (II) is described. The resulting monolayer-protected gold nanoparticles are water-soluble and more stable. The concentration of II plays a crucial role for the distribution of the modified nanoparticles. When the ratio of concentration of II to HAuCl₄,[II]/[HAuCl₄] ≥ 0.93, a stable gold nanoparticle with uniform distribution and diameter of 6.0 ± 0.9 nm will be obtained. The recognition of modified gold nanoparticles to organic guest molecule is researched. The modified gold nanoparticles can make the electrochemical reduction current of nitrobenzene decrease and can be self-assembled in three-dimensional to form spherical clusters with ligand of methylene green.     

Gold nanoparticle/charged silsesquioxane films immobilized onto Al/SiO2 surface applied on the electrooxidation of nitrite

In this work, gold nanoparticles lower than 10?nm were prepared in an aqueous medium using two charged silsesquioxanes, the propylpyridinium chloride and propyl-1-azonia-4-azabicyclo[2.2.2]octane chloride, as stabilizer agents which revealed to be water-soluble. This stabilization method is innovative allowing thin films containing gold nanoparticles to be obtained, and it was used for the first time in the preparation of carbon paste electrodes (CPEs). The charged silsesquioxanes were characterized by liquid ¹³C NMR. The gold nanoparticle/silsesquioxane systems were characterized by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis) and transmission electron microscopy. In sequence, they were immobilized on silica matrix coated with aluminum oxide. The resulting solid materials designated as Au-Py/AlSi and Au-Db/AlSi were characterized by infrared spectroscopy and N₂ adsorption/desorption isotherms. The results showed that the gold nanoparticle/silsesquioxane systems are strongly adhered to the surface-forming thin films. The Au-Py/AlSi and Au-Db/AlSi materials were used to prepare CPEs for the electrooxidation of nitrite (NO ₂ ^? ) using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. The Au-Py/AlSi and Au-Db/AlSi CPEs showed high sensitivity and detection limits of 71.87 and 53.66?μA?mmol^–1?L and 1.3 and 3.0?μmol?L^–1, respectively.