Interfacial entrapment of noble metal nanoparticles and nanorods capped with amphiphilic multiblock copolymer at a selective liquid-liquid interface

Nanoscale. 2010 Sep;2(9):1684-9. doi: 10.1039/c0nr00320d. Epub 2010 Aug 5.

Abstract

An amphiphilic multiblock copolymer, [poly(4-vinylpyridine)-b-polystyrene-b-poly(4-vinylpyridine)](n) (P4VP-PS-P4VP)(n) bearing trithiocarbonate moieties (-S-CS-S-), was used as capping agent to fabricate the functional copolymer-capped Au nanoparticles. Due to the amphiphilic character of the multiblock copolymer, the (P4VP-PS-P4VP)(n)-capped Au nanoparticles were able to be entrapped and hence form a stable monolayer thin film at the (DMF-H(2)O)/diethyl ether interface. Note that DMF-H(2)O is a good mixed solvent for P4VP and a nonsolvent for PS, whereas diethyl ether is a good solvent for PS and a nonsolvent for P4VP. A similar procedure can be applied to prepare monolayer thin film of the (P4VP-PS-P4VP)(n)-capped Ag nanoparticles at the (DMF-H(2)O)/diethyl ether interface, which exhibits enhanced surface Raman signal. We further demonstrate that the stable monolayer of (P4VP-PS-P4VP)(n)-capped Au nanorods can also be fabricated by using the ligand-exchange method.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Gold / chemistry
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Metal Nanoparticles / ultrastructure
  • Microscopy, Atomic Force
  • Nanotubes / chemistry*
  • Nanotubes / ultrastructure
  • Polymers / chemistry*
  • Polystyrenes / chemistry
  • Polyvinyls / chemistry
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared

Substances

  • Polymers
  • Polystyrenes
  • Polyvinyls
  • poly(4-vinylpyridine)
  • Gold