Probing metal nanoparticles and assemblies with analytical ultracentrifugation

Analytical Ultracentrifugation (AUC) is a powerful tool to obtain statistically relevant size and shape measurements for macromolecular systems. Metal nanoparticles coated by a ligand shell of thiolated molecules provide diverse functionality, from targeted cellular delivery to the formation of complex assemblies. Here I show that AUC can be used to determine particle size distribution, ligand shell density, shape, and hydrodynamic radius. It can also be used to probe complex mixtures of nanoparticle assemblies, from 2D dimers and chains, to 3D trimers, tetramers, and higher order assemblies, from a consideration of their hydrodynamic shape factor and its relation to the sedimentation coefficient. With AUC, the ease of sample preparation, ligand shell information, and dramatic increase in sample size are improvements compared with electron microscopy, and the ability to probe multiple, discrete absorbing wavelengths and globally analyze with interference information offers a measured improvement compared with dynamic light scattering (DLS). This work describes multiple calibrations and considerations as well as theoretical contributions concerning the application of AUC to nanoparticle systems

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

2010

Author dc:creator

• Carney, Randy (Randy Patrick)

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/1721.1/59234

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/59234