Effect of the size of colloidal gold nanoparticles on the physical parameters of nanocomposite microcapsule shells

Polyelectrolyte shells of nanocomposite microcapsules containing colloidal gold nanoparticles of different diameters (5, 10, or 20 nm) are formed by the polyion assembly procedure. Microcapsules with different numbers of layers and structures are studied by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and confocal microscopy. The values of the thickness and roughness of microcapsule shells are determined and the dependence of these parameters on the size of gold nanoparticles constituting shells is investigated. It is established that the concentration of nanoparticles in polyelectrolyte shells of microcapsules decreases with an increase in particle diameter.