Ordered Networks of Gold Nanoparticles Crosslinked by Dithiol‐Oligomers

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2018-06-19
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Nayak, Srikanth
Horst, Nathan
Zhang, Honghu
Wang, Wenjie
Mallapragada, Surya
Travesset, Alex
Vaknin, David
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Physics and Astronomy
Physics and astronomy are basic natural sciences which attempt to describe and provide an understanding of both our world and our universe. Physics serves as the underpinning of many different disciplines including the other natural sciences and technological areas.
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Materials Science and Engineering
Materials engineers create new materials and improve existing materials. Everything is limited by the materials that are used to produce it. Materials engineers understand the relationship between the properties of a material and its internal structure — from the macro level down to the atomic level. The better the materials, the better the end result — it’s as simple as that.
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Ames National LaboratoryPhysics and AstronomyMaterials Science and EngineeringChemical and Biological Engineering
Abstract

Controlled aggregation of nanoparticles into superlattices is a grand challenge in material science, where ligand based self‐assembly is the dominant route. Here, the self‐assembly of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) that are crosslinked by water soluble oligo‐(ethylene glycol)‐dithiol (oEG‐dithiol) is reported and their 3D structure by small angle X‐ray scattering is determined. Surprisingly, a narrow region is found in the parameter space of dithiol linker‐length and nanoparticle size for which the crosslinked networks form short‐ranged FCC crystals. Using geometrical considerations and numerical simulations, the stability of the formed lattices is evaluated as a function of dithiol length and the number of connected nearest‐neighbors, and a phase diagram of superlattice formation is provided. Identifying the narrow parameter space that allows crystallization facilitates focused exploration of linker chemical composition and medium conditions such as thermal annealing, pH, and added solutes that may lead to superior and more robust crystals.

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