Synthetic routes to monodisperse gold nanoparticles stabilized by different-length alkanethiols

My thesis explored three different synthesis routes toward obtaining monodisperse clutches of well-ordered nanoparticles stabilized by various alkanethiols. The first two synthesis methods were based on a two-phase system employing first tetraoctylammonium bromide (TOAB) as a phase transfer catalyst and then didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB). Though these methods approximated what could be considered monodisperse nanoparticles ([sigma]< 5%) by reaching distributions of a [sigma]~-19% for TOAB and [sigma]- 13% for DDAB at their best, they were easily surpassed by the degree of monodispersity achieved by a one-phase method. This one-phase method, which does not use inverse micelles to control the reduction process, was able to reach distribution levels where o<10%. More specifically, the method proved robust enough to synthesize monodisperse, well-ordered nanoparticles with the following alkanethiols: octanethiol, nonanethiol, decanethiol, dodecanethiol, pentadecanethiol; and the following distributions: [sigma]~7%, [sigma]~9%, -[sigma]~7%, [sigma]~4%, and ~ [sigma]8%, respectively.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2008

Author dc:creator

• Fabian, Omar

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Francesco Stellacci.

• Materials Science and Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/43211

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/43211