Zhao, Y., Li, Y.-X., Cao, Y. et al. (3 more authors) (2023) Effect of mesogenic corona on type and anisotropy of gold nanoparticle superlattice: when can tail wag the dog? Chemistry – A European Journal, 29 (11). e202203673. ISSN 0947-6539
Abstract
The correlation between the size of nanoparticles, the structure and shape of mesogenic ligands and the ensuing assembly behaviour is not really understood. Closer inspection shows very surprising features. Here, 2- and 4-nm gold nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized, and grafted with a forked ligand containing two rod-like mesogens in its branches: one cholesterol, the other with azobenzene. The 4-nm NPs also contained n-hexylthiol as co-ligand. They were found to form a FCC cubic superlattice, whereas the 2-nm NPs form hexagonal HCP with weak birefringence, hence with partially oriented ligands. The structures were compared with those of related systems containing a range of different azobenzene-to-cholesterol ratios, all giving body-centred tetragonal superlattices with various degrees of anisotropy. Geometric analysis is presented in terms of the asphericity of the NPs’ surroundings, requirement for space-filling and structural anisotropy. Some general rules are derived to help design the soft corona around the NPs in order to obtain superlattices with the desired structure and anisotropy.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2022 The Authors. Chemistry - A European Journal published by Wiley-VCH GmbH. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) |
Keywords: | gold; nanoparticles; liquid crystals; superlattice |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > Department of Materials Science and Engineering (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 31 Jan 2023 14:22 |
Last Modified: | 27 Sep 2024 10:42 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Wiley |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1002/chem.202203673 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:195794 |