This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under CHE - 1352507.

1. Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles
<ol>
	<li>Weigh the gold salt in the glove box and add to a vial previously cleaned with aqua regia before diluting with water in a volumetric flask. Prepare a 1 mM Gold (III) chloride trihydrate (393.83 g/mol) in 100 ml water for gold stock solution.</li>
	<li>Weigh out 3.2 g solid CTAC (320 g/mol) and heat, in 25 ml water, to approximately 60 &#176;C for dissolution. Cool to room temperature and dilute the mixture with to 50 ml with water in a volumetric flask to prepare a 0.2 M Cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (CTAC).</li>
	<li>Mix 20 ml of 1 mM gold solution and 20 ml of 0.2 M CTAC solution inside a round bottom boiling flask and place in an oil bath set to 60 &#176;C. Allow to mix for 10 min.</li>
	<li>Add 1.7 mg (1:1 mole ratio) solid Borane tert-butyl amine (86.97 g/mol) to the gold/CTAC solution and let stir for 30 min. 
	Note: Solution should turn deep red. The resulting solution has a gold particle concentration of about 5 &#956;M and can be stored for months at a time or used immediately for the next phase of reaction.</li>
</ol>
2. Coating with Silver
<ol>
	<li>Use precise reagent amounts to coat the nanoparticles with a silver shell. The shell will provide the template for size and shape of the semiconductor shell. Precise reagent amounts will also help to prevent nucleation of silver particles.</li>
	<li>First calculate the volume of the core, in cm3, and convert to mass per particle using the density of gold. For example, to calculate the core volume, assume a spherical nanoparticle with a diameter of 15 nm to give a volume of 1767.15 nm3 and then convert to cm3 (1.77 x 10-18 cm3). Multiply the volume by the density of gold (19.3 cm3) to calculate the mass per particle (3.41 x 1017).
	<ol>
		<li>Using 10 ml of a 5.3 &#956;M gold nanoparticle solution, 5.30 x 10-8 moles of particles are present. Multiply by the molar mass gives to calculate the mass of gold present in the solution (1.04 x 10-5 g). Divide the mass of gold in the solution by the mass per particle to find the number of gold particles present (3.06 x 1011).</li>
		<li>Calculate the volume of the nanoparticles with a 5 nm shell thickness, in cm3 (8.18 x 1018 cm3) and subtract this from the volume of the core nanoparticle (1.77 x 10-18 cm3) to determine the shell volume (6.41 x 10-18). Convert this volume to mass of silver by multiplying by the number of gold particles and the density of silver (2.33 x 10-4). Shell thicknesses in the range of 1-10 nm will be utilized in this study.&#160;&#160;</li>
		<li>Convert the mass of silver to moles of silver needed for a 5 nm shell radius (2.33 x 10-4). From this value, calculate the volume of 4.0 mM silver nitrate 540 &#956;l) solution needed for the amount of gold utilized in the starting solution (10 ml).</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Prepare a 4.0 mM AgNO3 (169.87 g/mol) solution in 5 ml water. In a 70 &#176;C oil bath, mix 10 ml of stock gold nanoparticles with ascorbic acid to make a 20 mM solution.</li>
	<li>Add the silver solution drop-wise to the gold and ascorbic acid solution and allow the reaction to stir for 2 hr. 
	Note: The reaction will turn light orange (thinner shell) to dark orange (thicker shell) over the course of the reaction.</li>
	<li>Centrifuge the nanoparticles at 21,130 x g for 10 min and redisperse into clean water. Decant the supernatant from the pelleted nanoparticles to aid in removal of bare gold nanoparticles or silver nanoparticles which may have been formed.</li>
</ol>
3. Conversion of the Shell to Silver Sulfide
<ol>
	<li>Weigh elemental sulfur in a 200:1 molar ratio to the silver used in the previous stage of the experiment. For 10 ml of Au/Ag core shell particles and a 5 nm shell, dissolve 3 ml of oleylamine and 1.5 ml of oleic acid into 10 ml toluene.
	<ol>
		<li>Concentrate the silver colloids, via centrifugation at 21,130 x g for 10 min and disperse in 1 ml water. 
		Note: This step helps increase the efficiency of the extraction from the aqueous layer to the organic layer upon formation of the silver shell.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Add the colloids, drop-wise to the sulfur solution under stirring for 1 hr. 
	Note: The solution will turn dark blue (thinner shells) to purple (thicker shells) as the sulfurization goes to completion.</li>
	<li>Centrifuge the colloidal solution at 4,000 x g for 10 min after the reaction has stirred 2 hr to remove the water and unreacted sulfur from the solution. Re-disperse the nanoparticles into clean toluene with sonication, if necessary.
	<ol>
		<li>Sonicate the nanoparticles in a bath sonicator for 30 sec to 1 min in order to disperse into toluene. 
		Note: Excess oleylamine or oleic acid may fall out of solution and can be removed after this step by decanting the solution from the white solid.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
4. Cation Exchange
<ol>
	<li>Make the metal precursor by dissolving the metal nitrate into 1 ml of methanol, to make a 0.2 M solution of Cd(NO3) or Zn(NO3). 
	Note: a 0.8 M solution may be used for thicker shells to decrease the amount of methanol in solution.
	<ol>
		<li>Mix the metal solution with the silver sulfide-shelled nanoparticles in a 1:1 molar ratio with the silver. Heat to 50 &#176;C for cadmium shell and 65 &#176;C for zinc shells under a nitrogen atmosphere.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Add tri-butyl phosphine in a 500:1 molar ratio to the metal precursor. The reaction times are 2 hr for Cadmium and 20 hr for zinc.</li>
	<li>Purify via centrifugation at 21,130 x g for 10 min in order to remove any isolated CdS or ZnS nanoparticles which may have been formed. Disperse the pelleted nanoparticles into a clean nonpolar solvent such as hexanes, toluene, or chloroform.</li>
</ol>
5. Ligand Exchange from Oleylamine
<ol>
	<li>Mix the nanoparticle solution with 1.5 times volume ratio ethanol to colloidal solution in toluene in a centrifuge tube. Centrifuge at 4,000 x g for 10 min to pellet the nanoparticles.</li>
	<li>Wash the nanoparticles with ethanol and centrifuge once more to collect the solid particles. 
	Note: The particles can be stored at this stage but removal of ethanol is necessary to prevent aggregation.</li>
	<li>Bind Ligands with a nucleophilic binding group to the surface via unbound cationic sites on the shell. 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid and 3,4-diaminobenzoic acid are appropriate molecules which leave the nanoparticles water-soluble.
	<ol>
		<li>Disperse the nanoparticles into the ligand solution in large excess, approximately 10 times higher concentration than the native oleate molecules. Stir the particles at room temperature overnight to allow displacement of any residual oleate molecules.</li>
		<li>Centrifuge the solution at 4,000 x g for 10 min. Wash the pelleted particles with methanol and centrifuge at 4,000 x g for 10 min once more to collect the solid nanoparticles.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>

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Authors have nothing to disclose

Gold nanoparticles
In order to guarantee high quality core shell nanoparticles, a monodisperse sample of gold nanoparticles must first be synthesized as a template.28,29,30 We modified the gold nanoparticle synthesis to produce long-chain tertiary amines-capped nanoparticles instead of oleylamine-capped nanoparticles. Oleylamine-capped nanoparticles show a rather narrow plasmon resonance, indicative of monodisperse size range, but the particles synthesized via reduction using tert-b...

Gold and silver nanoparticles have potential for future technological advances in a variety of applications including photonics,1 photovoltaics,2 catalysis,3 chemical/biological sensing,4 biological imaging,5 and photodynamic therapy.6 Under visible excitation, the surface electrons can oscillate to form a resonance known as a localized surface Plasmon resonance (SPR), which can be utilized to concentrate incident radiation in the visible spectrum. Recently, noble metal nanoparticles have been combined with semiconductor or magnetic nanoparticles to produce hybrid nanoparticles with enhanced and tunable functionality.7,8 Recent literature, such as the study conducted by Ouyang et al.9 or Chen et al.10, has shown the possibility for the synthesis of these particles, but only limited control in the uniformity of the hybrid species is possible due to a distribution of gold nanoparticle sizes and compounded by the lack of optical characterization coupled with physical characterization at each stage of growth. Zamkov et al. showed similar uniformity in shell formation but only one shell thickness was utilized with different core sizes, with some shells not being fully formed around the nanoparticles. In order to effectively utilize these nanoparticles, the precise optical response must be known and characterized for a variety of shell thicknesses. Higher precision in shell thickness can be accomplished through the use of monodisperse, aqueous gold particles as the template, resulting in higher control over the final hybrid species. Interaction between the core and shell may show limited enhancement in absorption or emission rates due to the small amount of semiconductor material and the proximity to the gold core. Instead of interaction between the semiconductor found in the shell and the gold particle, the shell may be used as a spacer to limit the distance between an external chromophore.11 This will allow for higher control over the spatial separation between the plasmon while, negating the consequences of direct contact with the metal surface.
The extent of the electronic interaction between the surface plasmon resonance and exciton produced in the chromophore, is directly correlated to the distance between the metallic and semiconductor species, the surface environment and strength of the interaction.12 When the species are separated by distances greater than 25 nm, the two electronic states remain unperturbed and the optical response remains unchanged.13 The strong coupling regime is dominant when the particles have more intimate contact and can result in the quenching of any excitation energy via nonradiative rate enhancement or Forester Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET).14,15 Manipulation of the coupling strength, by tuning the spacing between the chromophore and metal nanoparticle, can result in positive effects as well. The nanoparticle extinction coefficient can be orders of magnitude larger than most chromophores, allowing the nanoparticles to concentrate the incident light much more effectively. Utilizing the increased excitation efficiency of the nanoparticle can result in higher excitation rates in the chromophore.12 Coupling of the excitation dipole can also increase the emission rate of the chromophore which, can result in increase in quantum yield if nonradiative rates are unaffected.12 These effects could lead to solar cells or films with increased absorbance, and photovoltaic efficiencies, facilitated by the increased absorption cross-section of the gold and the ease of charge extraction from the semiconductor layer due to the existence of localized surface states.12,16 This study will also provide useful information on the coupling strength of the plasmon as a function of distance.
Localized surface plasmons have widely been used in sensing17 and detection18 applications due to the sensitivity of the plasmon resonance to the local environment. Cronin et al., showed the catalytic efficiency of TiO2 films can be improved with addition of gold nanoparticles. Simulations showed that this increase in activity is due to coupling of the plasmon electric field with excitons created in the TiO2, which subsequently increases exciton generation rates.19 Schmuttenmaer et al., showed that the efficiency of Dye-sensitized (DSSC) solar cells could be improved with the incorporation of the Au/SiO2/TiO2 aggregates. The aggregates enhance the absorption through creation of broad localized surface plasmon modes which increase optical absorption over a broader range of frequencies.20 In other literature, Li et al. observed significant reduction in fluorescence lifetime as well as distance dependent enhancement in steady state fluorescence intensity was observed through direct coupling of a single CdSe/ZnS quantum dot and single gold nanoparticle.21 In order to take full advantage of this plasmonic enhancement, there is a need for physical coupling with a set distances between the two species.
Synthesis of Hybrid Nanoparticles
Jiatiao et al., described a method to coat semiconductor material onto gold nanoparticles via a cationic exchange in order to produce uniform and tunable shell thicknesses. The shells were uniform in thickness, but the gold templates were not very monodisperse. This will alter the semiconductor to gold ratio from particle to particle and therefore the coupling strength.9 An in-depth study on the optical properties of these core shell nanoparticles has been conducted, in order to develop a reproducible synthetic method. Previous methods rely on organic-based nanoparticle synthesis, which can produce samples with broad plasmon resonances due to inhomogeneity in the gold nanoparticle size. A modified aqueous synthesis of gold nanoparticles can provide a reproducible and monodisperse gold nanoparticle template with stability for long periods of time. The aqueous surfactant cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride forms a double layer on the nanoparticle surface due to interaction between the long carbon chains of nearby cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride molecules.22 This thick surface layer requires careful washing to remove excess surfactant and allow access to the nanoparticle surface, but can provide higher control over the nanoparticle size and shape.23 The aqueous addition of a silver shell can be controlled with high precision leading to a more intimate correlation between shell thickness and optical properties.23 A slower reduction via ascorbic acid is utilized to deposit the silver on the gold surface, requiring the addition of silver salt to be very precise in order to prevent formation of silver nanoparticles in the solution. The third step requires a large excess of sulfur to be added into an organic phase and a phase transfer of the aqueous nanoparticles must occur. With addition of oleylamine as an organic capping agent and oleic acid, which may act as both a capping agent and aid in phase transfer of the nanoparticles, a uniform, amorphous silver sulfide shell can be formed around the nanoparticles.9,24 The concentration of these molecules must be high enough to prevent aggregation of the nanoparticles in this step, but too much excess can make purification difficult. In the presence of tri butyl phosphine and a metal nitrate (Cd, Zn or Pb), a cationic exchange inside of the amorphous sulfide shell can be conducted. Reaction temperatures must be modified for the different reactivates of the metals9 and any excess sulfur must be eliminated to reduce the formation of individual quantum dots. Each step of the synthesis corresponds to a change in the surface environment of the nanoparticle, therefore, a change in plasmon should be observed due to the dependence of the plasmon frequency on surrounding dielectric field. A parallel study of optical absorption as a function of Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) characterization was used to characterize the nanoparticles. This synthetic procedure will provide us with well-controlled and uniform samples, providing better correlation from microscopy and spectroscopy data.
Coupling with Fluorophores
Applying a dielectric spacing layer between a plasmonic metal surface and a fluorophore can help to diminish losses due to nonradiative energy transfer of created excitons into the metal. This spacing layer can also aid in the study of distance dependence between the fluorophore and the plasmon resonance on the metal surface. We propose using the semiconductor shell of the hybrid nanoparticles as our dielectric spacing layer. The shell thickness can be tuned with nanometer precision with thicknesses ranging from 2 nm to 20 nm allowing precise distance correlation experiments to be conducted. The shell can also be tuned with Cd, Pb or Zn cations and S, Se and Te anions, allowing for control over not only the distance but also the dielectric constant, electronic band arrangement and even crystal lattice parameters.

<table><tbody><tr><td>MilliQ Water</td><td>Millipore</td><td>Millipore water purification system</td><td>water with 18 M&amp;#937; resistivity was utilized in all experiments</td></tr><tr><td>Gold(II) chloride trihydrate</td><td>Sigma Aldrich</td><td>520918</td><td>used as gold precursor for nanoparticle synthesis</td></tr><tr><td>Cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (CTAC)</td><td>TCI America</td><td>H0082</td><td>used as surfactant for gold nanoparticles</td></tr><tr><td>Borane tert butyl amine</td><td>Sigma Aldrich</td><td>180211</td><td>used as reducing agent for gold nanoparticles</td></tr><tr><td>Silver nitrate</td><td>Sigma Aldrich</td><td>204390</td><td>used as silver source for shell application</td></tr><tr><td>Ascorbic acid</td><td>Sigma Aldrich</td><td>A0278</td><td>used as reducing agent for silver shell application</td></tr><tr><td>Sulfur powder</td><td>Acros</td><td>199930500</td><td>used as sulfur source for silver sulfide shell conversion</td></tr><tr><td>Oleylamine</td><td>Sigma Aldrich</td><td>O7805</td><td>used as surfactant for silver sulfide shell conversion</td></tr><tr><td>Oleylamine</td><td>Sigma Aldrich</td><td>364525</td><td>used as surfactant for silver sulfide shell conversion</td></tr><tr><td>cadmium nitrate tetrahydrate</td><td>Sigma Aldrich</td><td>642405</td><td>used as cadmium source for cation exchange</td></tr><tr><td>zinc nitrate hexahydrate</td><td>Fisher Scientific</td><td>Z45</td><td>used as zinc source for cation exchange</td></tr><tr><td>11-Mercaptoundecanoic acid</td><td>Sigma Aldrich</td><td>450561</td><td>used as water soluable ligand during ligand exchange</td></tr><tr><td>3,4-diaminobenzoic acid</td><td>Sigma Aldrich</td><td>D12600</td><td>used as water soluable ligand during ligand exchange</td></tr><tr><td>UV-Vis absorption spectrophotometer</td><td>Cary</td><td>50 Bio</td><td>used to monitor absorption spectrum of colloidal solutions</td></tr><tr><td>JEOL TEM 2100</td><td>JEOL</td><td>2100</td><td>used to analyze size of synthesized nanoparticles. TEM grids were purchased from tedpella</td></tr><tr><td>FTIR spectrophotometer</td><td>Perkin Elmer</td><td>Spec 100</td><td>used to monitor chemical compostion of nanoparticle surface after ligand exchange.&amp;nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table>

synthesis, characterization, and functionalization of hybrid au/cds and au/zns core/shell nanoparticles

Plasmonic nanoparticles are an attractive material for light harvesting applications due to their easily modified surface, high surface area and large extinction coefficients which can be tuned across the visible spectrum. Research into the plasmonic enhancement of optical transitions has become popular, due to the possibility of altering and in some cases improving photo-absorption or emission properties of nearby chromophores such as molecular dyes or quantum dots. The electric field of the plasmon can couple with the excitation dipole of a chromophore, perturbing the electronic states involved in the transition and leading to increased absorption and emission rates. These enhancements can also be negated at close distances by energy transfer mechanism, making the spatial arrangement of the two species critical. Ultimately, enhancement of light harvesting efficiency in plasmonic solar cells could lead to thinner and, therefore, lower cost devices. The development of hybrid core/shell particles could offer a solution to this issue. The addition of a dielectric spacer between a gold nanoparticles and a chromophore is the proposed method to control the exciton plasmon coupling strength and thereby balance losses with the plasmonic gains. A detailed procedure for the coating of gold nanoparticles with CdS and ZnS semiconductor shells is presented. The nanoparticles show high uniformity with size control in both the core gold particles and shell species allowing for a more accurate investigation into the plasmonic enhancement of external chromophores.

Normalized absorbance spectra of gold nanoparticles with three different surfactants are shown in Figure 1. The surfactants utilized are oleylamine, tetradecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (TTAC), and cetyl trimetyl ammonium chloride. CTAC and TTAC surfactants show narrower plasmon resonance absorption band.
The amount of reducing agent not only affects the FWHM but the peak position of the resulting nanoparticle...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Synthesis, Characterization, and Functionalization of Hybrid Au/CdS and Au/ZnS Core/Shell Nanoparticles at JoVE.com

Synthesis, Characterization, and Functionalization of Hybrid Au/CdS and Au/ZnS Core/Shell Nanoparticles

The synthesis of uniform gold nanoparticles coated with semiconductor shells of CdS or ZnS is performed. The semiconductor coating is conducted by first depositing a silver sulfide shell and exchanging the silver cations for zinc or cadmium cations.

Plasmonic nanoparticles are an attractive material for light harvesting applications due to their easily modified surface, high surface area and large ...

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Research

JoVE Journal

Chemistry

18.2K Views.  University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The synthesis of uniform gold nanoparticles coated with semiconductor shells of CdS or ZnS is performed. The semiconductor coating is conducted by first depositing a silver sulfide shell and exchanging the silver cations for zinc or cadmium cations.

Video: Synthesis, Characterization, and Functionalization of Hybrid Au/CdS and Au/ZnS Core/Shell Nanoparticles

Using Polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid)-coated Metal Nanoparticles as Monomers for Their Homo- and Co-polymerization

We present a template-free method for &#8220;polymerizing&#8221; nanoparticles into long chains without side branches. A variety of nanoparticles are encapsulated in polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid) (PSPAA) shells and then used as monomers for their self-assembly. Spherical PSPAA micelles upon acid treatment are known to assemble into cylindrical micelles. Exploiting this tendency, the core-shell nanoparticles are induced to aggregate, coalesce, and then transform into long chains. When more than one type of nanoparticles are used, random and block &#8220;copolymers&#8221; of nanoparticles can be obtained. Detailed procedures are reported for the PSPAA encapsulation of nanoparticles, homo- and co-polymerization of the core-shell nanoparticles, separation and purification of the resulting nanoparticle chains. Transformations of single-line chains into double- and triple-line chains are also presented. The synergy between the polymer shell and the embedded nanoparticles leads to an unusual chain-growth polymerization mode, giving long nanoparticle chains that are distinct from the products of the traditional step-growth aggregation process.

Using Polystyrene-block-polyacrylic acid-coated Metal Nanoparticles as Monomers for Their Homo- and Co-polymerization

We report protocols for &#8220;polymerizing&#8221; various types of polymer-encapsulated metal nanoparticles into long chains of &#8220;homo-&#8220; and &#8220;co-polymers&#8221;.

We present a template-free method for &#8220;polymerizing&#8221; nanoparticles into long chains without side branches. A variety of nanoparticles are ...

Generation of Zerovalent Metal Core Nanoparticles Using n-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminosilanetriol

In this work, a facile one-pot reaction for the formation of metal nanoparticles in a water solution through the use of n-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminosilanetriol is presented. This compound can be used to effectively reduce and complex metal salts into metal core nanoparticles coated with the compound. By controlling the concentrations of salt and silane one is able to control reaction rates, particle size, and nanoparticle coating. The effects of these changes were characterized through transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis spectrometry (UV-Vis), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). A unique aspect to this reaction is that usually silanes hydrolyze and cross-link in water; however, in this system the silane is water-soluble and stable. It is known that silicon and amino moieties can form complexes with metal salts. The silicon is known to extend its coordination sphere to form penta- or hexa-coordinated species. Furthermore, the silanol group can undergo hydrolysis to form a Si-O-Si silica network, thereby transforming the metal nanoparticles into a functionalized nanocomposites.

Generation of Zerovalent Metal Core Nanoparticles Using n-2-aminoethyl-3-aminosilanetriol

A novel method for metal core nanoparticle synthesis using a water stable silanol is described.

In this work, a facile one-pot reaction for the formation of metal nanoparticles in a water solution through the use of ...

Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids

Control over colloidal assembly is of utmost importance for the development of functional colloidal materials with tailored structural and mechanical properties for applications in photonics, drug delivery and coating technology. Here we present a new family of colloidal building blocks, coined supramolecular colloids, whose self-assembly is controlled through surface-functionalization with a benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA) derived supramolecular moiety. Such BTAs interact via directional, strong, yet reversible hydrogen-bonds with other identical BTAs. Herein, a protocol is presented that describes how to couple these BTAs to colloids and how to quantify the number of coupling sites, which determines the multivalency of the supramolecular colloids. Light scattering measurements show that the refractive index of the colloids is almost matched with that of the solvent, which strongly reduces the van der Waals forces between the colloids. Before photo-activation, the colloids remain well dispersed, as the BTAs are equipped with a photo-labile group that blocks the formation of hydrogen-bonds. Controlled deprotection with UV-light activates the short-range hydrogen-bonds between the BTAs, which triggers the colloidal self-assembly. The evolution from the dispersed state to the clustered state is monitored by confocal microscopy. These results are further quantified by image analysis with simple routines using ImageJ and Matlab. This merger of supramolecular chemistry and colloidal science offers a direct route towards light- and thermo-responsive colloidal assembly encoded in the surface-grafted monolayer.

A protocol for the synthesis and characterization of colloids coated with supramolecular moieties is described. These supramolecular colloids undergo self-assembly upon the activation of the hydrogen-bonds between the surface-anchored molecules by UV-light.

Control over colloidal assembly is of utmost importance for the development of functional colloidal materials with tailored structural and mechanical ...

Multifunctional Hybrid Fe2O3-Au Nanoparticles for Efficient Plasmonic Heating

One of the most widely used methods for manufacturing colloidal gold nanospherical particles involves the reduction of chloroauric acid (HAuCl4) to neutral gold Au(0) by reducing agents, such as sodium citrate or sodium borohydride. The extension of this method to decorate iron oxide or similar nanoparticles with gold nanoparticles to create multifunctional hybrid Fe2O3-Au nanoparticles is straightforward. This approach yields fairly good control over Au nanoparticle dimensions and loading onto Fe2O3. Additionally, the Au metal size, shape, and loading can easily be tuned by changing experimental parameters (e.g., reactant concentrations, reducing agents, surfactants, etc.). An advantage of this procedure is that the reaction can be done in air or water, and, in principle, is amenable to scaling up. The use of such optically tunable Fe2O3-Au nanoparticles for hyperthermia studies is an attractive option as it capitalizes on plasmonic heating of gold nanoparticles tuned to absorb light strongly in the VIS-NIR region. In addition to its plasmonic effects, nanoscale Au provides a unique surface for interesting chemistries and catalysis. The Fe2O3 material provides additional functionality due to its magnetic property. For example, an external magnetic field could be used to collect and recycle the hybrid Fe2O3-Au nanoparticles after a catalytic experiment, or alternatively, the magnetic Fe2O3 can be used for hyperthermia studies through magnetic heat induction. The photothermal experiment described in this report measures bulk temperature change and nanoparticle solution mass loss as functions of time using infrared thermocouples and a balance, respectively. The ease of sample preparation and the use of readily available equipment are distinct advantages of this technique. A caveat is that these photothermal measurements assess the bulk solution temperature and not the surface of the nanoparticle where the heat is transduced and the temperature is likely to be higher.

Multifunctional Hybrid Fe2O3-Au Nanoparticles for Efficient Plasmonic Heating

We describe the synthesis and properties of multifunctional Fe2O3-Au nanoparticles produced by a wet chemical approach and investigate their photothermal properties using laser irradiation. The composite Fe2O3-Au nanoparticles retain the properties of both materials, creating a multifunctional structure with excellent magnetic and plasmonic properties.

One of the most widely used methods for manufacturing colloidal gold nanospherical particles involves the reduction of chloroauric acid (HAuCl4) to ...

Engineering

Synthesis of Ligand-free CdS Nanoparticles within a Sulfur Copolymer Matrix

Aliphatic ligands are typically used during the synthesis of nanoparticles to help mediate their growth in addition to operating as high-temperature solvents. These coordinating ligands help solubilize and stabilize the nanoparticles while in solution, and can influence the resulting size and reactivity of the nanoparticles during their formation. Despite the ubiquity of using ligands during synthesis, the presence of aliphatic ligands on the nanoparticle surface can result in a number of problems during the end use of the nanoparticles, necessitating further ligand stripping or ligand exchange procedures. We have developed a way to synthesize cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticles using a unique sulfur copolymer. This sulfur copolymer is primarily composed of elemental sulfur, which is a cheap and abundant material. The sulfur copolymer has the advantages of operating both as a high temperature solvent and as a sulfur source, which can react with a cadmium precursor during nanoparticle synthesis, resulting in the generation of ligand free CdS. During the reaction, only some of the copolymer is consumed to produce CdS, while the rest remains in the polymeric state, thereby producing a nanocomposite material. Once the reaction is finished, the copolymer stabilizes the nanoparticles within a solid polymeric matrix. The copolymer can then be removed before the nanoparticles are used, which produces nanoparticles that do not have organic coordinating ligands. This nascent synthesis technique presents a method to produce metal-sulfide nanoparticles for a wide variety of applications where the presence of organic ligands is not desired.

Herein we present a method to synthesize ligand-free cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticles based on a unique sulfur copolymer. The sulfur copolymer operates as a high temperature solvent and a sulfur source during the nanoparticle synthesis and stabilizes the nanoparticles after the reaction.

Aliphatic ligands are typically used during the synthesis of nanoparticles to help mediate their growth in addition to operating as high-temperature ...

Advanced Compositional Analysis of Nanoparticle-polymer Composites Using Direct Fluorescence Imaging

The fabrication of polymer-nanoparticle composites is extremely important in the development of many functional materials. Identifying the precise composition of these materials is essential, especially in the design of surface catalysts, where the surface concentration of the active component determines the activity of the material. Antimicrobial materials which utilize nanoparticles are a particular focus of this technology. Recently swell encapsulation has emerged as a technique for inserting antimicrobial nanoparticles into a host polymer matrix. Swell encapsulation provides the advantage of localizing the incorporation to the external surfaces of materials, which act as the active sites of these materials. However, quantification of this nanoparticle uptake is challenging. Previous studies explore the link between antimicrobial activity and surface concentration of the active component, but this is not directly visualized. Here we show a reliable method to monitor the incorporation of nanoparticles into a polymer host matrix via swell encapsulation. We show that the surface concentration of CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles can be accurately visualized through cross-sectional fluorescence imaging. Using this method, we can quantify the uptake of nanoparticles via swell encapsulation and measure the surface concentration of encapsulated particles, which is key in optimizing the activity of functional materials.

Here we present a reliable method to monitor the incorporation of nanoparticles into a polymer host matrix via swell encapsulation. We show that the surface concentration of cadmium selenide quantum dots can be accurately visualized through cross-sectional fluorescence imaging.

The fabrication of polymer-nanoparticle composites is extremely important in the development of many functional materials. Identifying the precise ...

Synthesis of Substrate-Bound Au Nanowires Via an Active Surface Growth Mechanism

Advancing synthetic capabilities is important for the development of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The synthesis of nanowires has always been a challenge, as it requires asymmetric growth of symmetric crystals. Here, we report a distinctive synthesis of substrate-bound Au nanowires. This template-free synthesis employs thiolated ligands and substrate adsorption to achieve the continuous asymmetric deposition of Au in solution at ambient conditions. The thiolated ligand prevented the Au deposition on the exposed surface of the seeds, so the Au deposition only occurs at the interface between the Au seeds and the substrate. The side of the newly deposited Au nanowires is immediately covered with the thiolated ligand, while the bottom facing the substrate remains ligand-free and active for the next round of Au deposition. We further demonstrate that this Au nanowire growth can be induced on various substrates, and different thiolated ligands can be used to regulate the surface chemistry of the nanowires. The diameter of the nanowires can also be controlled with mixed ligands, in which another &#34;bad&#34; ligand could turn on the lateral growth. With the understanding of the mechanism, Au nanowire-based nanostructures can be designed and synthesized.

We report a solution-based method to synthesize substrate-bound Au nanowires. By tuning the molecular ligands used during the synthesis, the Au nanowires can be grown from various substrates with different surface properties. Au nanowire-based nanostructures can also be synthesized by adjusting the reaction parameters.

Advancing synthetic capabilities is important for the development of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The synthesis of nanowires has always been a ...

Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles Supported on Carbon Nanotube with Doped Co and N Atoms and its Catalytic Applications in Hydrogen Production

A method for facile synthesis of nanostructured catalysts supported on carbon nanotubes with atomically dispersed cobalt and nitrogen dopant is presented herein. The novel strategy is based on a facile one-pot pyrolysis treatment of cobalt (II) acetylacetonate and nitrogen-rich organic precursors under Ar atmosphere at 800 &#176;C, resulting in the formation of Co- and N- co-doped carbon nanotube with earthworm-like morphology. The obtained catalyst was found to have a high density of defect sites, as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. Here, cobalt (II) nanoparticles were stabilized on the atomically dispersed cobalt- and nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes. The catalyst was confirmed to be effective in the catalytic hydrolysis of ammonia borane, in which the turnover frequency was 5.87 mol H2&#183;molCo-1&#183;min-1, and the specific hydrogen generation rate was determined to be 2447 mL H2&#183;gCo-1&#183;min-1. A synergistic function between the Co nanoparticle and the doped carbon nanotubes was proposed for the first time in the catalytic hydrolysis of ammonia borane reaction under a mild condition. The resulting hydrogen production with its high energy density and minimal refueling time could be suitable for future development as energy sources for mobile and stationary applications such as road trucks and forklifts in transport and logistics.

Here, we present a protocol to synthesize Co nanoparticles supported on carbon nanotubes with Co- and N- dopants for hydrogen productions.

A method for facile synthesis of nanostructured catalysts supported on carbon nanotubes with atomically dispersed cobalt and nitrogen dopant is presented ...

Aqueous Synthesis of Plasmonic Gold-Tin Alloy Nanoparticles

This protocol describes the synthesis of Au nanoparticle seeds and the subsequent formation of Au-Sn bimetallic nanoparticles. These nanoparticles have potential applications in catalysis, optoelectronics, imaging, and drug delivery. Previously, methods for producing alloy nanoparticles have been time-consuming, require complex reaction conditions, and can have inconsistent results. The outlined protocol first describes the synthesis of approximately 13 nm Au nanoparticle seeds using the Turkevich method. The protocol next describes the reduction of Sn and its incorporation into the Au seeds to generate Au-Sn alloy nanoparticles. The optical and structural characterization of these nanoparticles is described. Optically, prominent localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) are apparent using UV-visible spectroscopy. Structurally, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) reflects all particles to be less than 20 nm and shows patterns for Au, Sn, and multiple Au-Sn intermetallic phases. Spherical morphology and size distribution are obtained from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging. TEM reveals that after Sn incorporation, the nanoparticles grow to approximately 15 nm in diameter.

Author Spotlight: Designing Sustainable Nanomaterials for Advancing Synthesis and Element Mixing

Here, the synthesis of gold (Au) seeds is described using the Turkevich method. These seeds are then used to synthesize gold-tin alloy (Au-Sn) nanoparticles with tunable plasmonic properties.

This protocol describes the synthesis of Au nanoparticle seeds and the subsequent formation of Au-Sn bimetallic nanoparticles. These nanoparticles have ...

Synthesis of Near-Infrared Emitting Gold Nanoclusters for Biological Applications

Over the past decade, fluorescent gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) have witnessed growing popularity in biological applications and enormous efforts have been devoted to their development. In this protocol, a recently developed, facile method for preparation of water soluble, biocompatible, and colloidally stable near-infrared emitting AuNCs have been described in detail. This room-temperature, bottom-up chemical synthesis provides easily functionalizable AuNCs capped with thioctic acid and thiol-modified polyethylene glycol in aqueous solution. The synthetic approach requires neither organic solvents or additional ligand exchange nor extensive knowledge of synthetic chemistry to reproduce. The resulting AuNCs offer free surface carboxylic acids, which can be functionalized with various biological molecules bearing a free amine group without adversely affecting the photoluminescent properties of the AuNCs. A quick, reliable procedure for flow cytometric quantification and confocal microscopic imaging of AuNC uptake by HeLa cells also been described. Due to the large Stokes shift, proper setting of filters in flow cytometry and confocal microscopy is necessary for efficient detection of near-infrared photoluminescence of AuNCs.

A reliable and easily reproducible method for preparation of functionalizable, near-infrared emitting photoluminescent gold nanoclusters and their direct detection inside HeLa cells by flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscopy is described.

Over the past decade, fluorescent gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) have witnessed growing popularity in biological applications and enormous efforts have been ...