1 research outputs found
Integration of Gold Nanoparticles into Bilayer Structures via Adaptive Surface Chemistry
We
describe the spontaneous incorporation of amphiphilic gold nanoparticles
(Au NPs) into the walls of surfactant vesicles. Au NPs were functionalized
with mixed monolayers of hydrophilic (deprotonated mercaptoundecanoic
acid, MUA) and hydrophobic (octadecanethiol, ODT) ligands, which are
known to redistribute dynamically on the NP surface in response to
changes in the local environment. When Au NPs are mixed with preformed
surfactant vesicles, the hydrophobic ODT ligands on the NP surface
interact favorably with the hydrophobic core of the bilayer structure
and guide the incorporation of NPs into the vesicle walls. Unlike
previous strategies based on small hydrophobic NPs, the present approach
allows for the incorporation of water-soluble particles even when
the size of the particles greatly exceeds the bilayer thickness. The
strategy described here based on inorganic NPs functionalized with
two labile ligands should in principle be applicable to other nanoparticle
materials and bilayer structures