Dr. B.P.S. Chauhan would like to gratefully acknowledge William Paterson University for assigned release time (ART) award for part of the research described here and also for the research program in general.

Note: All reagents are used as is from manufacturer with no further purification. Reactions were monitored for up to one week via UV-Vis spectroscopy to ensure complete reduction. All reactions are carried out under a vent hood and appropriate safety attire is worn at all times, including gloves, eye goggles, and lab coats.
1. Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles
<ol>
	<li>Weigh out 0.0169 g (0.1 mmol) of silver nitrate directly into a 50 ml Erlenmeyer flask.</li>
	<li>Add in 20 ml of 18.2 M&#937; of ultrapure water and a magnetic stirrer bar. Cover flask with stopper to prevent evaporation.</li>
	<li>Place flask in an oil bath situated on a stirrer/hot plate and ensure that temperature is maintained at 60 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Slowly add 144 &#181;l (0.2 mmol) of 2-AST using a precision micropipette. Flush pipette several times in solution to ensure all silane is transferred into the solution.</li>
	<li>Take UV-Vis spectroscopy readings according to protocol listed in Section 5.</li>
	<li>After 6 hr, remove sample from the oil bath and transfer to a 20 ml sample vial for storage, TEM, FTIR and further analysis. 
	Note: Synthesis of gold and palladium nanoparticles follows the same method and stoichiometric amounts with the exception of gold nanoparticles requiring 216 &#181;l (0.3 mmol) 2-AST. The reaction may continue to produce nanoparticles for up to 2 weeks, but the rate is not significant compared to initial rate.</li>
</ol>
2. Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) Sample Preparation
<ol>
	<li>Ensure that sample has cooled to RT.</li>
	<li>Place a 200 carbon-mesh formvar-coated copper grid onto a clean piece of filter paper.</li>
	<li>Using a 1 ml plastic Pasteur pipette, cast-drop approximately 60 &#181;l of the nanoparticle sample directly onto the grid.</li>
	<li>Allow grid to dry for 24 hr before imaging.</li>
	<li>Take high-resolution TEM images with the following conditions: 10 &#181;A current and 100 kV accelerating voltage22.</li>
</ol>
3. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Sample Preparation
Note: Perform NMR at RT. At high temperatures signals may coalesce, which degrades the quality of spectra obtained.
<ol>
	<li>Using a precision pipette, pipette 50 &#181;l of deuterium dioxide (D2O) into a clean NMR tube.</li>
	<li>With another clean precision pipette, pipette 400 &#181;l of nanoparticle sample into the same NMR tube.
	<ol>
		<li>As samples may adhere to the inner walls of the NMR tube, slowly add solutions into the NMR tube. If sample does adhere, cap the tube and shake the top of the tube to force the solution to the bottom.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Mix the sample by shaking and repeatedly inverting the NMR tube.</li>
	<li>Place sample tube into the NMR following directions set by NMR protocol provided by manufacturer. An upwards of 1,000 scans may be necessary for proper resolution in a 1H proton NMR pulse program. 
	Note: NMR tube walls should be clean. It is recommended that the outer wall of the tube is wiped with a microfiber or lint free cloth prior to analysis for spectra clarity.</li>
	<li>Discard sample when finished. Do not return sample to parent solution.</li>
</ol>
4. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy Sample Preparation
<ol>
	<li>Place 2 ml of nanoparticle sample into a small glass container. A 3 ml tube or 1 dram glass vial works well.</li>
	<li>Dry the samples by placing the glass container in a vacuum desiccator fitted with a stopcock.</li>
	<li>Attach desiccator to vacuum pump apparatus. Drying of samples may take a few hours depending on vacuum strength. Consider samples dry after there is no visible liquid in container.</li>
	<li>Scrape down the sample using a clean spatula and collect solid materials.</li>
	<li>Place solid material onto ATR-FTIR spectroscope fitted with a ZnSe crystal diode laser.</li>
	<li>Obtain FTIR spectra integrating 32 scans between 4,000-500 cm-1 with a spectral resolution of 2.0. Use the air background23.</li>
</ol>
5. UV-Vis Spectroscopy Sample Preparation
<ol>
	<li>Conduct UV-Vis spectroscopy on nanoparticle samples that are in a one to ten dilution of nanoparticle sample to water so that saturation does not occur in spectrometer analysis.</li>
	<li>Remove nanoparticle samples for UV-Vis while reaction is running at half hour intervals.</li>
	<li>Using a precision pipette, remove 100 &#181;l of nanoparticle material and place into a plastic cuvette.</li>
	<li>Add 1 ml of ultrapure water to the same cuvette and mix thoroughly by flushing the pipette several times.</li>
	<li>Record UV-Vis absorbance spectrum between 250-800 nm.</li>
	<li>After analysis, do not return sample to reaction. Dispose of analyte in an appropriate manner.</li>
</ol>

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Rev. 40 (1), 233-245 (2011).</li><li>Richards, R., B&#246;nnemann, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Synthetic+Approaches+to+Metallic+Nanomaterials.">Synthetic Approaches to Metallic Nanomaterials.</a> Nanofabrication towards Biomedical Applications. , 4-9 (2005).</li><li>Bradley, J., Schmid, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Chapter+6,+Unit+6.2.2,+The+Chemistry+of+Transition+Metal+Colloids:+Synthetic+Methods+for+the+Preparation+of+Colloidal+Transition+Metals.">Chapter 6, Unit 6.2.2, The Chemistry of Transition Metal Colloids: Synthetic Methods for the Preparation of Colloidal Transition Metals.</a> Clusters and Colloids. , 469-473 (1994).</li><li>Paterer, A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Investigation+on+the+formation+of+copper+zinc+tin+sulphide+nanoparticles+from+metal+salts+and+dodecanethiol.">Investigation on the formation of copper zinc tin sulphide nanoparticles from metal salts and dodecanethiol.</a> Mater. Chem. Phys. 149-150, 94-98 (2015).</li><li>Yi, D. K., Lee, S. S., Ying, J. Y. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Synthesis+and+Applications+of+Magnetic+Nanocomposite+Catalysts.">Synthesis and Applications of Magnetic Nanocomposite Catalysts.</a> Chem. Mater. 18, 2459-2461 (2006).</li><li>Piepenbrock, M. M., Lloyd, G. O., Clarke, N., Steed, J. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Metal-+and+Anion-Binding+Supramolecular+Gels.">Metal- and Anion-Binding Supramolecular Gels.</a> Chem. Rev. 110, 1960-2004 (2010).</li><li>Wu, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Preparation+and+Structural+Characterization+of+Novel+Nanohybrids+by+Cationic+3D+Silica+Nanoparticles+Sandwiched+between+2D+Anionic+Montmorillonite+Clay+through+Electrostatic+Attraction.">Preparation and Structural Characterization of Novel Nanohybrids by Cationic 3D Silica Nanoparticles Sandwiched between 2D Anionic Montmorillonite Clay through Electrostatic Attraction.</a> J. Phys. Chem. C. 113 (30), 13036-13044 (2009).</li><li>Spitalsky, Z. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Carbon+nanotube-polymer+composites:+Chemistry,+Processing,+Mechanical+and+Electrical+Properties.">Carbon nanotube-polymer composites: Chemistry, Processing, Mechanical and Electrical Properties.</a> Prog. Polym. 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M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Synthesis+of+silver+nanoparticles+by+microbial+method+and+their+characterization.">Synthesis of silver nanoparticles by microbial method and their characterization.</a> Arch. Phys. Res. 2 (3), 153-158 (2011).</li><li>Ghosh, S., Sarma, N., Mandal, M., Kundu, S., Esumi, K., Pal, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Evolution+of+gold+nanoparticles+in+micelle+by+UV-irradiation:+A+conductometric+study.">Evolution of gold nanoparticles in micelle by UV-irradiation: A conductometric study.</a> Curr. Sci. 84 (6), 791-795 (2003).</li><li>Paul, B., Bhuyan, B., Purkayastha, D. D., Dey, M., Dhar, S. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Green+synthesis+of+gold+nanoparticles+using+Pogestemon+benghalensis+(B)+O.+Ktz+leaf+extract+and+studies+of+their+photocatalytic+activity+in+degradation+of+methylene.">Green synthesis of gold nanoparticles using Pogestemon benghalensis (B) O. Ktz leaf extract and studies of their photocatalytic activity in degradation of methylene.</a> Mater. Lett. 148, 37-40 (2015).</li><li>Chauhan, B. P. S., Rathore, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Regioselective+Synthesis+of+Multifunctional+Hybrid+Polysiloxanes+Achieved+by+Pt-Nanocluster+Catalysis.">Regioselective Synthesis of Multifunctional Hybrid Polysiloxanes Achieved by Pt-Nanocluster Catalysis.</a> J. Am. Chem. Soc. 127, 5790-5791 (2005).</li><li>Chauhan, B. P. 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S., Sardar, R., Tewari, P., Sharma, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> , 23-25 (2003).</li><li>Pouchert, C. J., Pouchert, C. .. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Non-Aromatic+Amines.">Non-Aromatic Amines.</a> The Aldrich Library of Infrared Spectra. , (1983).</li><li>Arkles, B., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Infrared+Analysis+of+Organosilicon+Compounds:+Spectra-Structure+Correlations.">Infrared Analysis of Organosilicon Compounds: Spectra-Structure Correlations.</a> Silicon Compounds Register and Review. , (1987).</li><li>Corriu, R. J. 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There are no conflicting financial interests.

Salts reported in this paper are the only salts that were tested of that metal. As a result, it is uncertain that this reaction strategy would work with all salts of the metals, particularly gold. The solubility of these salts in water may also affect the outcome of the reaction in terms of reaction time, morphology, and yields. In all reactions, the silane was added to an already dissolved metal salt solution.
It is worth noting that care must be taken to ensure accuracy for these reactions r...

As the demand and applications of designer nanomaterials increases, so do the various methods of synthesis. The &#34;top-down&#34; methods, such as laser ablation or chemical etching have been employed for their excellent controllability and capability of resolving materials reliably down to the sub-micron level. These methods rely on bulk materials being processed into finer components, which typically increase the cost of production as the desired nanostructure size decreases. An alternative method of synthesis to this is the &#34;bottom-up&#34; approach, which controls synthesis at the molecular level and builds up to the desired nanostructure. This imparts a significant degree of control on the desired self-assembly, functionality, passivity, and stability in the generation of these nanostructured materials1. By working from the molecular level, hybrid nanocomposites can be generated providing the benefits of both materials within the same structure.
As nanomaterials are synthesized through the bottom-up strategy, methods need to be employed to control particle size, shape, texture, hydrophobicity, porosity, charge, and functionality2. In metal core nanoparticle synthesis, the initial metal salt is reduced in an autocatalytic process to generate zero-valent particles, which in turn direct the nucleation of other particle. This leads to clustering and finally nanoparticle production3. In an effort to control the size of nanoparticles created and prevent them from precipitating out of solution, stabilizers such as ligands, surfactants, ionic charge, and large polymers are exploited for their ability to block nanoparticles from further agglomeration4-10. These materials inhibit the van der Waals attraction of the nanoparticles, either through steric hindrance due to the presence of bulky groups or through Coulombic repulsions3.
In this work, a facile, one pot, synthetic strategy for the generation of various metal core nanoparticles using the silane, n-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminosilanetriol (2-AST) is presented (Figure 1). Ligands on this compound are capable of reducing metal precursors and stabilizing metal nanoparticles with a relatively high efficacy. The three silanol moieties present are also capable of crosslinking and this forms an interconnected network of organosilane polymer impregnated with nanoparticles within its matrix (Figure 2). Unlike most silanes, which readily undergo hydrolysis in the presence of water, this compound is stabilized in water, which is beneficial for hydrophobicity purposes, stability, and control.

<table><tbody><tr><td>n-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminosilanetriol (2-AST)</td><td>Gelest</td><td>SIA0590.0</td><td>25% in H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O</td></tr><tr><td>Silver nitrate</td><td>Sigma Aldrich</td><td>S6506</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Gold(III) chloride trihydrate</td><td>Sigma Aldrich</td><td>520918</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Palladium(II) Nitrate</td><td>Alfa Aesar</td><td>11035</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Deuterium Dioxide</td><td>Cambridge Isotope Laboratories</td><td>DLM-4-100</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

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.

The reaction was monitored via UV-Vis spectrometry as nanoparticle formation should produce peaks characteristic for each individual metal nanoparticle. The final analysis of synthesized materials was accomplished through TEM and FTIR. The FTIR spectra was obtained from dried powder of samples. The particle size analysis can be accomplished by measuring nanoparticle diameter from images obtained via TEM and averaging results.
Co...

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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.

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 ...

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7.6K Views.  William Paterson University. A novel method for metal core nanoparticle synthesis using a water stable silanol is described.

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

Preparation of Silica Nanoparticles Through Microwave-assisted Acid-catalysis

Microwave-assisted synthetic techniques were used to quickly and reproducibly produce silica nanoparticle sols using an acid catalyst with nanoparticle diameters ranging from 30-250 nm by varying the reaction conditions. Through the selection of a microwave compatible solvent, silicic acid precursor, catalyst, and microwave irradiation time, these microwave-assisted methods were capable of overcoming the previously reported shortcomings associated with synthesis of silica nanoparticles using microwave reactors. The siloxane precursor was hydrolyzed using the acid catalyst, HCl. Acetone, a low-tan &#948; solvent, mediates the condensation reactions and has minimal interaction with the electromagnetic field. Condensation reactions begin when the silicic acid precursor couples with the microwave radiation, leading to silica nanoparticle sol formation. The silica nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering data and scanning electron microscopy, which show the materials&#39; morphology and size to be dependent on the reaction conditions. Microwave-assisted reactions produce silica nanoparticles with roughened textured surfaces that are atypical for silica sols produced by St&#246;ber&#39;s methods, which have smooth surfaces.

Silica nanoparticles were prepared using acid-catalysis of a siloxane precursor and microwave-assisted synthetic techniques resulting in the controlled growth of nanomaterials ranging from 30-250 nm in diameter. The growth dynamics can be controlled by varying the initial silicic acid concentration, time of the reaction, and temperature of reaction.

Microwave-assisted synthetic techniques were used to quickly and reproducibly produce silica nanoparticle sols using an acid catalyst with nanoparticle ...

Gold Nanostar Synthesis with a Silver Seed Mediated Growth Method

The physical, chemical and optical properties of nano-scale colloids depend on their material composition, size and shape 1-5. There is a great interest in using nano-colloids for photo-thermal ablation, drug delivery and many other biomedical applications 6. Gold is particularly used because of its low toxicity 7-9. A property of metal nano-colloids is that they can have a strong surface plasmon resonance 10. The peak of the surface plasmon resonance mode depends on the structure and composition of the metal nano-colloids. Since the surface plasmon resonance mode is stimulated with light there is a need to have the peak absorbance in the near infrared where biological tissue transmissivity is maximal 11, 12.
We present a method to synthesize star shaped colloidal gold, also known as star shaped nanoparticles 13-15 or nanostars 16. This method is based on a solution containing silver seeds that are used as the nucleating agent for anisotropic growth of gold colloids 17-22. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of the resulting gold colloid showed that 70 % of the nanostructures were nanostars. The other 30 % of the particles were amorphous clusters of decahedra and rhomboids. The absorbance peak of the nanostars was detected to be in the near infrared (840 nm). Thus, our method produces gold nanostars suitable for biomedical applications, particularly for photo-thermal ablation.

We synthesized star shaped gold nanostars using a silver seed mediated growth method. The diameter of the nanostars ranges from 200 to 300 nm and the number of tips vary from 7 to 10. The nanoparticles have a broad surface plasmon resonance mode centered in the near infrared.

The physical, chemical and optical properties of nano-scale colloids depend on their material composition, size and shape 1-5. There is a great interest ...

Bioengineering

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 ...

Reverse Microemulsion-mediated Synthesis of Monometallic and Bimetallic Early Transition Metal Carbide and Nitride Nanoparticles

A reverse microemulsion is used to encapsulate monometallic or bimetallic early transition metal oxide nanoparticles in microporous silica shells. The silica-encapsulated metal oxide nanoparticles are then carburized in a methane/hydrogen atmosphere at temperatures over 800 &#176;C to form silica-encapsulated early transition metal carbide nanoparticles. During the carburization process, the silica shells prevent the sintering of adjacent carbide nanoparticles while also preventing the deposition of excess surface carbon. Alternatively, the silica-encapsulated metal oxide nanoparticles can be nitridized in an ammonia atmosphere at temperatures over 800 &#176;C to form silica-encapsulated early transition metal nitride nanoparticles. By adjusting the reverse microemulsion parameters, the thickness of the silica shells, and the carburization/nitridation conditions, the transition metal carbide or nitride nanoparticles can be tuned to various sizes, compositions, and crystal phases. After carburization or nitridation, the silica shells are then removed using either a room-temperature aqueous ammonium bifluoride solution or a 0.1 to 0.5 M NaOH solution at 40-60 &#176;C. While the silica shells are dissolving, a high surface area support, such as carbon black, can be added to these solutions to obtain supported early transition metal carbide or nitride nanoparticles. If no high surface area support is added, then the nanoparticles can be stored as a nanodispersion or centrifuged to obtain a nanopowder.

A &#8220;removable ceramic coating method&#8221; is presented in visual format for the synthesis of non-sintered and metal-terminated monometallic and bimetallic early transition metal carbide and nitride nanoparticles with tunable sizes and crystal structures.

A reverse microemulsion is used to encapsulate monometallic or bimetallic early transition metal oxide nanoparticles in microporous silica shells. The ...

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.

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 ...

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 ...

A Rapid Synthesis Method for Au, Pd, and Pt Aerogels Via Direct Solution-Based Reduction

Here, a method to synthesize gold, palladium, and platinum aerogels via a rapid, direct solution-based reduction is presented. The combination of various precursor noble metal ions with reducing agents in a 1:1 (v/v) ratio results in the formation of metal gels within seconds to minutes compared to much longer synthesis times for other techniques such as sol-gel. Conducting the reduction step in a microcentrifuge tube or small volume conical tube facilitates a proposed nucleation, growth, densification, fusion, equilibration model for gel formation, with final gel geometry smaller than the initial reaction volume. This method takes advantage of the vigorous hydrogen gas evolution as a by-product of the reduction step, and as a consequence of reagent concentrations. The solvent accessible specific surface area is determined with both electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. After rinsing and freeze drying, the resulting aerogel structure is examined with scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and nitrogen gas adsorption. The synthesis method and characterization techniques result in a close correspondence of aerogel ligament sizes. This synthesis method for noble metal aerogels demonstrates that high specific surface area monoliths may be achieved with a rapid and direct reduction approach.

A rapid, direct solution-based reduction synthesis method to obtain Au, Pd, and Pt aerogels is presented.

Here, a method to synthesize gold, palladium, and platinum aerogels via a rapid, direct solution-based reduction is presented. The combination of various ...

Synthesis of Bimetallic Pt/Sn-based Nanoparticles in Ionic Liquids

We demonstrate a method for the synthesis of bimetallic nanoparticles consisting of Pt and Sn. A synthesis strategy is used in which the particular physico-chemical properties of ionic liquids (ILs) are exploited to control both nucleation and growth processes. The nanoparticles form colloidal sols of very high colloidal stability in the IL, which is particularly interesting in view of their use as quasi-homogeneous catalysts. Procedures for both nanoparticle extraction in conventional solvents and for nanoparticle precipitation are presented. The size, structure and composition of the synthesized nanocrystals are confirmed using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). By this, we show that the nanocrystals are random-type alloy and of small (2-3 nm) size. The catalytic activity and selectivity in the hydrogenation of &#945;,&#946;-unsaturated aldehydes is tested in a semi-continuous batch-type reactor. In this context, the bimetallic Pt/Sn-based nanoparticles reveal a high selectivity towards the unsaturated alcohol.

A protocol for the synthesis of bimetallic nanoparticles in ionic liquids and the procedure of their catalytic testing in the selective hydrogenation of unsaturated aldehydes are described.

We demonstrate a method for the synthesis of bimetallic nanoparticles consisting of Pt and Sn. A synthesis strategy is used in which the particular ...

Generation of Scalable, Metallic High-Aspect Ratio Nanocomposites in a Biological Liquid Medium

The goal of this protocol is to describe the synthesis of two novel biocomposites with high-aspect ratio structures. The biocomposites consist of copper and cystine, with either copper nanoparticles (CNPs) or copper sulfate contributing the metallic component. Synthesis is carried out in liquid under biological conditions (37 &#176;C) and the self-assembled composites form after 24 hr. Once formed, these composites are highly stable in both liquid media and in a dried form. The composites scale from the nano- to micro- range in length, and from a few microns to 25 nm in diameter. Field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) demonstrated that sulfur was present in the NP-derived linear structures, while it was absent from the starting CNP material, thus confirming cystine as the source of sulfur in the final nanocomposites. During synthesis of these linear nano- and micro-composites, a diverse range of lengths of structures is formed in the synthesis vessel. Sonication of the liquid mixture after synthesis was demonstrated to assist in controlling average size of the structures by diminishing the average length with increased time of sonication. Since the formed structures are highly stable, do not agglomerate, and are formed in liquid phase, centrifugation may also be used to assist in concentrating and segregating formed composites.

Here we present a protocol to synthesize novel, high-aspect ratio biocomposites under biological conditions and in liquid media. The biocomposites scale from nanometers to micrometers in diameter and length, respectively. Copper nanoparticles (CNPs) and copper sulfate combined with cystine are the key components for the synthesis.

The goal of this protocol is to describe the synthesis of two novel biocomposites with high-aspect ratio structures. The biocomposites consist of copper ...

Gold Nanoparticle Synthesis

Gold nanoparticles (Au nanoparticles) that are ~12 nm in diameter were synthesized by rapidly injecting a solution of 150 mg (0.15 mmol) of tetrachloroauric acid in 3.0 g (3.7 mmol, 3.6 mL) of oleylamine (technical grade) and 3.0 mL of toluene into a boiling solution of 5.1 g (6.4 mmol, 8.7 mL) of oleylamine in 147 mL of toluene. While boiling and mixing the reaction solution for 2 hours, the color of the reaction mixture changed from clear, to light yellow, to light pink, and then slowly to dark red. The heat was then turned off, and the solution was allowed to gradually cool down to room temperature for 1 hour. The gold nanoparticles were then collected and separated from the solution using a centrifuge and washed three times; by vortexing and dispersing the gold nanoparticles in 10 mL portions of toluene, and then precipitating the gold nanoparticles by adding 40 mL portions of methanol and spinning them in a centrifuge. The solution was then decanted to remove any remaining byproducts and unreacted starting materials. Drying the gold nanoparticles in a vacuum environment produced a solid black pellet; which could be stored for long periods of time (up to one year) for later use, and then redissolved in organic solvents such as toluene.

A protocol for synthesizing ~12 nm diameter gold nanoparticles (Au nanoparticles) in an organic solvent is presented. The gold nanoparticles are capped with oleylamine ligands to prevent agglomeration. The gold nanoparticles are soluble in organic solvents such as toluene.