1 research outputs found
Diffusion of Gold Nanorods Functionalized with Thermoresponsive Polymer Brushes
Understanding the
diffusion of gold nanorods (AuNRs) and their
composites in dispersion is important at fundamental level and in
fields as diverse as material science, nanobiotechnology to drug delivery.
The translational and rotational diffusion of AuNRs decorated with
thermoresponsive polyÂ(<i>N</i>-isopropylacrylamide) brushes
having hydrophilic and hydrophobic end groups was investigated in
the dilute regime by dynamic light scattering. The same series of
functionalized AuNRs were studied in the isotropic concentrated dispersions
by high-resolution NMR diffusometry. The dependence of translational
and rotational diffusivity upon molecular weight and polymer end group
were measured as a function of temperature in the region of the brush
phase transition. The effective hydrodynamic radius of AuNR composites
proved to be the most sensitive quantity to the temperature-induced
phase transition of brushes, allowing the evaluation of the brush
thickness in the swollen and collapsed states