Improved size-tunable synthesis of monodisperse gold nanorods through the use of aromatic additives

Library approach for reliable synthesis and properties of DNA-gold nanorod conjugates

We developed a library-based approach to chemically stabilize cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-coated gold nanorods for the synthesis of polyvalent DNA-gold nanorod conjugates (DNA-AuNRs). Eleven chemical reagents were carefully chosen to constitute an additive library and screened by UV-vis spectroscopy to evaluate their stabilizing capability for the CTAB-coated AuNRs. Interestingly, 5-bromosalicylic acid (5-BrSA) was determined to most significantly stabilize the AuNRs by inducing additional adsorption of CTAB on the rod. Importantly, these stabilized AuNRs with 5-BrSA were conjugated with thiol DNA in an exceptionally reproducible and reliable method, which led to the systematic investigation of their cooperative assembly and disassembly properties under various conditions, including different types and lengths of the DNA sequences.

A highly active SERS sensing substrate: core-satellite assembly of gold nanorods/nanoplates

Regiospecific core-satellite assembly of gold nanoplates (AuNPs)/gold nanorods (AuNRs) can be fabricated via ss-DNA hybridization. SERS behavior of the DNA driven assembly has been explored from inducing transition between para-ATP and DMAB through plasmon-assisted catalysis, suggesting that the core-satellite assembly can be utilized as highly active optical substrate. Moreover, a Raman label tagged thymine-rich DNA functionalized AuNRs/AuNPs assembly can be employed as in situ SERS sensing of mercury ions at the ultrasensitive ppt level, which indicates that the core-satellite assembly is appropriate as a versatile SERS substrate for the application of optical chemical or biosensing.

Shape-dependent plasmonic response and directed self-assembly in a new semiconductor building block, indium-doped cadmium oxide (ICO)

The influence of particle shape on plasmonic response and local electric field strength is well-documented in metallic nanoparticles. Morphologies such as rods, plates, and octahedra are readily synthesized and exhibit drastically different extinction spectra than spherical particles. Despite this fact, the influence of composition and shape on the optical properties of plasmonic semiconductor nanocrystals, in which free electrons result from heavy doping, has not been well-studied. Here, we report the first observation of plasmonic resonance in indium-doped cadmium oxide (ICO) nanocrystals, which exhibit the highest quality factors reported for semiconductor nanocrystals. Furthermore, we are able to independently control the shape and free electron concentration in ICO nanocrystals, allowing for the influence of shape on the optical response of a plasmonic semiconductor to be conclusively demonstrated. The highly uniform particles may be self-assembled into ordered single component and binary nanocrystal superlattices, and in thin films, exhibit negative permittivity in the near infrared (NIR) region, validating their use as a new class of tunable low-loss plasmonic building blocks for 3-D optical metamaterials.

Controllable two-stage droplet evaporation method and its nanoparticle self-assembly mechanism

Bottom-up self-assembly is able to constitute a variety of structures and has been thought to be a promising way for advanced nanofabrication. Droplet evaporation, as the simplest method, has been used in various self-assemblies. However, the assembled area is not large enough and the order is still not well controlled. Here we show a facile and controllable two-stage droplet evaporation method by adjusting the humidity and temperature of the evaporating droplet. Taking the highly monodispersed gold nanorods (GNRs) as an example, large-area, self-assembly monolayer arrays are reproducibly achieved. To understand the self-assembly mechanism, we adopted simplified models to analyze the interactions between the nanorods. The results show that a metastable state of secondary-energy-minimum exists, especially in the latter stage of the assembly process, leading to the ordered arrays. A large electrostatic barrier between the assembled arrays prevents the formation of the multilayer structures and thereby leads to the preferential monolayers. Moreover, we predict possibilities of different types of assemblies of the nanorods, and a schematic phase diagram is finally given. The results here may offer a way toward high-quality self-assembled nanoparticles superlattices for use in enhanced spectroscopy, sensors, or nanodevices.

A simple millifluidic benchtop reactor system for the high-throughput synthesis and functionalization of gold nanoparticles with different sizes and shapes

Despite the continuing interest in the applications of functionalized nanomaterials, the controlled and reproducible synthesis of many important functionalized nanoparticles (NPs) above the milligram scale continues to be a significant challenge. The synthesis of functionalized NPs in automated reactors provides a viable approach to circumvent some of the shortcomings of traditional nanomaterial batch syntheses, providing superior control over reagent addition, improved reproducibility, the opportunity to interface real-time product monitoring, and a viable high-throughput synthetic approach. Here, we demonstrate the construction and operation of a simple millifluidic reactor assembled entirely from commercially available components found in almost any chemical laboratory. This reactor facilitates the aqueous gram-scale synthesis of a variety of functionalized gold nanoparticles, including the synthesis of gold nanospheres with tightly controlled core diameters and gold nanorods with controlled aspect ratios between 1.5 and 4.0. The absolute dimensions (i.e., the transverse diameter) of gold nanorods synthesized within the reactor can also be tailored to produce different gold nanorod shapes, including "small" gold nanorods and gold nanocubes. In addition, we show that the reactor can interface with existing purification and monitoring techniques in order to enable the high-throughput functionalization/purification of gold nanorods and real-time monitoring of gold nanoparticle products for quality control. We anticipate that this millifluidic reactor will provide the blueprint for a versatile and portable approach to the gram-scale synthesis of monodisperse, hydrophilically functionalized metal NPs that can be realized in almost any chemistry research laboratory.

Seeded growth of monodisperse gold nanorods using bromide-free surfactant mixtures

We demonstrate for the first time that monodisperse gold nanorods (NRs) with broadly tunable dimensions and longitudinal surface plasmon resonances can be synthesized using a bromide-free surfactant mixture composed of alkyltrimethylammonium chloride and sodium oleate. It is found that uniform gold NRs can be obtained even with an iodide concentration approaching 100 μM in the growth solution. In contrast to conventional wisdom, our results provide conclusive evidence that neither bromide as the surfactant counterion nor a high concentration of bromide ions in the growth solution is essential for gold NR formation. Correlated electron microscopy study of three-dimensional structures of gold NRs reveals a previously unprecedented octagonal prismatic structure enclosed predominantly by high index {310} crystal planes. These findings should have profound implications for a comprehensive mechanistic understanding of seeded growth of anisotropic metal nanocrystals.

Colloidal nanoplasmonics: from building blocks to sensing devices

Nanoplasmonics is a rapidly developing field of research and technology that is based on the ability of small metal particles to interact strongly with light of wavelength significantly larger than their size. The development of nanoplasmonics has been closely associated with the application of colloid science to the controlled growth of metal nanocrystals in solution and to directing the self-assembly of such nanocrystals into organized arrays with enhanced collective properties. Engineering the morphology and the assembly of metal nanoparticles is a key step toward the fabrication of devices with great potential in detection and diagnosis as well as in a wide variety of other fields. In this Feature Article, we provide an overview of the recent work in our laboratory, which in our view somehow reflects the evolution of the field itself and provides guidelines for future research.

Tunable plasmonic coupling in self-assembled binary nanocrystal superlattices studied by correlated optical microspectrophotometry and electron microscopy

We study the plasmonic properties of self-assembled binary nanocrystal superlattices (BNSLs) using correlated optical microspectrophotometry and electron microscopy performed on individual BNSL domains. The strength of near-field couplings between adjacent plasmonic nanocrystals (NCs) can be systematically engineered by varying the NC size, composition, and the lattice symmetry of BNSLs, leading to broadband spectral tunability of the collective plasmonic response of BNSLs across the entire visible spectrum. Self-assembled multicomponent NC superlattices represent a versatile platform for the rational design of macroscopic three-dimensional plasmonic metamaterials with emergent optical characteristics.

High-mobility ZnO nanorod field-effect transistors by self-alignment and electrolyte-gating

High mobility, solution-processed field-effect transistors are important building blocks for flexible electronics. Here we demonstrate the alignment of semiconducting, colloidal ZnO nanorods by a simple solvent evaporation technique and achieve high electron mobilities in field-effect transistors at low operating voltages by electrolyte-gating with ionic liquids. The degree of alignment varies with nanorod length, concentration and solvent evaporation rate. We find a strong dependence of electron mobility on the degree of alignment but less on the length of the nanorods. Maximum field-effect mobilities reach up to 9 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) for optimal alignment. Because of the low process temperature (150 °C), ZnO nanorod thin films are suitable for application on flexible polymer substrates.

Bistable magnetoresistance switching in exchange-coupled CoFe₂O₄--Fe₃O₄ binary nanocrystal superlattices by self-assembly and thermal annealing

Self-assembly of multicomponent nanocrystal superlattices provides a modular approach to the design of metamaterials by choosing constituent nanocrystal building blocks with desired physical properties and engineering the interparticle coupling. In this work, we report the self-assembly of binary nanocrystal superlattices composed of magnetically hard CoFe₂O₄ nanocrystals and magnetically soft Fe₃O₄ nanocrystals. Both NaZn₁₃- and MgZn₂-type CoFe₂O₄--Fe₃O₄ binary nanocrystal superlattices have been formed by the liquid-air interfacial assembly approach. Exchange coupling is achieved in both types of binary superlattices after thermal annealing under vacuum at 400 °C. The exchange-coupled CoFe₂O₄--Fe₃O₄ binary nanocrystal superlattices show single-phase magnetization switching behavior and magnetoresistance switching behavior below 200 K. The NaZn₁₃-type CoFe₂O₄--Fe₃O₄ binary nanocrystal superlattices annealed at 500 °C even exhibit bistable magnetoresistance switching behavior at room temperature constituting a simple nonvolatile memory function.

Tailoring molecular specificity toward a crystal facet: a lesson from biorecognition toward Pt{111}

Surfactants with preferential adsorption to certain crystal facets have been widely employed to manipulate morphologies of colloidal nanocrystals, while mechanisms regarding the origin of facet selectivity remain an enigma. Similar questions exist in biomimetic syntheses concerning biomolecular recognition to materials and crystal surfaces. Here we present mechanistic studies on the molecular origin of the recognition toward platinum {111} facet. By manipulating the conformations and chemical compositions of a platinum {111} facet specific peptide, phenylalanine is identified as the dominant motif to differentiate {111} from other facets. The discovered recognition motif is extended to convert nonspecific peptides into {111} specific peptides. Further extension of this mechanism allows the rational design of small organic molecules that demonstrate preferential adsorption to the {111} facets of both platinum and rhodium nanocrystals. This work represents an advance in understanding the organic-inorganic interfacial interactions in colloidal systems and paves the way to rational and predictable nanostructure modulations for many applications.

Using binary surfactant mixtures to simultaneously improve the dimensional tunability and monodispersity in the seeded growth of gold nanorods

We report a dramatically improved synthesis of colloidal gold nanorods (NRs) using a binary surfactant mixture composed of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium oleate (NaOL). Both thin (diameter <25 nm) and thicker (diameter >30 nm) gold NRs with exceptional monodispersity and broadly tunable longitudinal surface plasmon resonance can be synthesized using seeded growth at reduced CTAB concentrations (as low as 0.037 M). The CTAB-NaOL binary surfactant mixture overcomes the difficulty of growing uniform thick gold NRs often associated with the single-component CTAB system and greatly expands the dimensions of gold NRs that are accessible through a one-pot seeded growth process. Gold NRs with large overall dimensions and thus high scattering/absorption ratios are ideal for scattering-based applications such as biolabeling as well as the enhancement of optical processes.

Formation of one-dimensional Ag-Au solid solution colloids with Au nanorods as seeds, their alloying mechanisms, and surface plasmon resonances

In this work, one dimensional (1D) Ag-Au solid solution nanoalloys were synthesized by rapidly diffusing Ag into the preformed Au nanorod (AuNR) seeds at ambient temperature in aqueous solution. By varying the molar ratio of AgCl/AuNR (in gold atoms), two kinds of 1D Ag-Au alloy nanostructures with a narrow size distribution--AgAu nanowires and Ag(33)Au(67) nanorods--could be obtained in high yields when NaCl and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were used as an additive and capping reagent, respectively. Based on HRTEM imaging combined with a series of control experiments, it is conceivable that vacancy/defect-motivated interdiffusion of Ag and Au atoms coupled with oxidative etching is a crucial stage in the mechanism responsible for this room-temperature alloying process, and the subsequent conjugation of the fused Ag-Au alloyed nanostructures is associated with the formation of the AgAu nanowires. The resulting 1D Ag-Au nanoalloys form stable colloidal dispersions and show unique localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peaks in the ensemble extinction spectra.

Ultrasound assisted interfacial synthesis of gold nanocones

This communication describes a facile method for the synthesis of conical-shaped Au nanoparticles with a hollow cavity by combining interfacial reaction and ultrasonic cavitation. The Au nanocones showed an enhancement factor of 7.7 × 10(8) in surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection.

Copper-ion-assisted growth of gold nanorods in seed-mediated growth: significant narrowing of size distribution via tailoring reactivity of seeds

In the well-developed seed-mediated growth of gold nanorods (GNRs), adding the proper amount of Cu(2+) ions in the growth solution leads to significant narrowing in the size distribution of the resultant GNRs, especially for those with shorter aspect ratios (corresponding longitudinal surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peaks shorter than 750 nm). Cu(2+) ions were found to be able to catalyze the oxidative etching of gold seeds by oxygen, thus mediating subsequent growth kinetics of the GNRs. At proper Cu(2+) concentrations, the size distribution of the original seeds is greatly narrowed via oxidative etching. The etched seeds are highly reactive and grow quickly into desired GNRs with significantly improved size distribution. A similar mechanism can be employed to tune the end cap of the GNRs. Except for copper ions, no observable catalytic effect is observed from other cations presumably due to their lower affinity to oxygen. Considering the widespread use of seed-mediated growth in the morphology-controlled synthesis of noble metal nanostructures, the tailoring in seed reactivity we presented herein could be extended to other systems.

High quality gold nanorods and nanospheres for surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid

Nearly monodisperse Au nanorods (NRs) with different aspect ratios were separated from home-synthesized polydisperse samples using a gradient centrifugation method. The morphology, size and its distribution, and photo-absorption property were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and UV-visible spectroscopy. Subsequently, using colloidal Au NRs (36.2 nm ×10.7 nm) with 97.4% yield after centrifugation and Au nanospheres (NSs) (22.9 ± 1.0 nm in diameter) with 97.6% yield as Au substrates, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) were recorded using laser excitation at 632.8 nm. Results show that surface enhancement factors (EF) for Au NRs and NSs are 6.2 × 10(5) and 5.7 × 10(4) using 1.0 × 10(-6) M 2,4-D, respectively, illustrating that EF value is a factor of ~10 greater for Au NRs substrates than for Au NSs substrates. As a result, large EF are a mainly result of chemical enhancement mechanisms. Thus, it is expected that Au NPs can find a comprehensive SERS application in the trace detection of pesticide residues.

Ru nanocrystals with shape-dependent surface-enhanced Raman spectra and catalytic properties: controlled synthesis and DFT calculations

Despite its multidisciplinary interests and technological importance, the shape control of Ru nanocrystals still remains a great challenge. In this article, we demonstrated a facile hydrothermal approach toward the controlled synthesis of Ru nanocrystals with the assistance of first-principles calculations. For the first time, Ru triangular and irregular nanoplates as well as capped columns with tunable sizes were prepared with high shape selectivity. In consistency with the experimental observations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed that both the intrinsic characteristics of Ru crystals and the adsorption of certain reaction species were responsible for the shape control of Ru nanocrystals. Ultrathin Ru nanoplates exposed a large portion of (0001) facets due to the lower surface energy of Ru(0001). The selective adsorption of oxalate species on Ru(10-10) would retard the growth of the side planes of the Ru nanocrystals, while the gradual thermolysis of the oxalate species would eliminate their adsorption effects, leading to the shape evolution of Ru nanocrystals from prisms to capped columns. The surface-enhanced Raman spectra (SERS) signals of these Ru nanocrystals with 4-mercaptopyridine as molecular probes showed an enhancement sequence of capped columns > triangle nanoplates > nanospheres, probably due to the sharp corners and edges in the capped columns and nanoplates as well as the shrunk interparticle distance in their assemblies. CO-selective methanation tests on these Ru nanocrystals indicated that the nanoplates and nanospheres had comparable activities, but the former has much better CO selectivity than the latter.

Seed concentration control of metal nanowire diameter

Gold/silver nanowires (NWs) of controlled diameters were synthesized from catalytic metal seed particles at the substrate/solution interface. Small seed nanoparticles of three different sizes: ~1 nm (11 gold atoms), ~1.4 nm (~55 gold atoms), and homemade nanoparticles of ~2 nm were used. By varying a single type of seed particle concentration in the growth solution, the NW diameters and morphology could be controlled, between bundles of ultrathin NWs of ~2-3 nm diameter to thicker isolated single NWs with a mean diameter of ~16 nm. In addition, the catalytic reduction rate leading to NW growth was found to be seed size dependent at small seed sizes (<2 nm). The two types of metallic NW films were tested for their performance as transparent electrodes after additional metal deposition for their stabilization and conductivity enhancement. The thin NW bundles exhibit superior transparent conductor properties.

Functional gold nanorods: synthesis, self-assembly, and sensing applications

Gold nanorods have received much attention due to their unique optical and electronic properties which are dependent on their shape, size, and aspect ratio. This article covers in detail the synthesis, functionalization, self-assembly, and sensing applications of gold nanorods. The synthesis of three major types of rods is discussed: single-crystalline and pentahedrally-twinned rods, which are synthesized by wet chemistry methods, and polycrystalline rods, which are synthesized by templated deposition. Functionalization of these rods is usually necessary for their applications, but can often be problematic due to their surfactant coating. Thus, general strategies are provided for the covalent and noncovalent functionalization of gold nanorods. The review will then examine the significant progress that has been made in controllable assembly of nanorods into various arrangements. This assembly can have a large effect on measurable properties of rods, making it particularly applicable towards sensing of a variety of analytes. Other types of sensing not dependent on nanorod assembly, such as refractive-index based sensing, are also discussed.

Removal of arsenate by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide modified magnetic nanoparticles

Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) modified magnetic nanoparticles (Fe(3)O(4)@CTAB) were synthesized and used to remove arsenate from water. Fe(3)O(4)@CTAB was prepared by a modified simple co-precipitation process with cheap and environmental friendly iron salts and cationic surfactant CTAB. Powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy were utilized to characterize the prepared adsorbent (Fe(3)O(4)@CTAB). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image showed that Fe(3)O(4)@CTAB particles were approximately spherical with the core size of 10 nm. With a saturation magnetization of 67.2 emu g(-1), the Fe(3)O(4)@CTAB nanoparticles could be easily separated from solutions with a simple magnetic process in very short time (within 5 min). Adsorption of arsenate on Fe(3)O(4)@CTAB reached equilibrium within 2 min at pH 6. Arsenate adsorption agreed well with pseudo-second order kinetic model and two-site Langmuir isotherm model with the arsenate adsorption capacity of 23.07 mg g(-l), which was twice greater than that of pure Fe(3)O(4). Arsenate removal rate was over 90% at a wide pH range from 3 to 9 and the removal of arsenate was not obviously affected by the presence of dissolved natural organic matter (up to 10 mg L(-1) as TOC) and competitive anions (sulfate, bicarbonate, and silicate up to 20 mg L(-1), and phosphate up to 5 mg L(-1)) in solutions. Fe(3)O(4)@CTAB could be regenerated in alkali solutions and more than 85% As(V) was removed even in fifth regeneration/reuse cycle.

One-step synthesis and self-assembly of metal oxide nanoparticles into 3D superlattices

A simple one-pot approach based on the "benzyl alcohol route" is introduced for the fabrication of highly ordered supercrystals composed of highly uniform 3-4 nm zirconia and rare-earth stabilized zirconia nanoparticles. The as-fabricated supercrystals reach sizes larger than 10 μm and present well-defined 3D morphologies such as flower-like, rhombic dodecahedron, and bipyramids. This system is unique in that the supercrystals are formed in one-step directly in the reaction medium where the nanoparticles are synthesized. The uniformity in nanocrystal shape and size is attributed to the in situ formation of benzoate species that directs the nanoparticle growth and assembly. The low colloidal stabilization of the benzoate-capped nanoparticles in benzyl alcohol promotes the formation of supercrystals in solution by π-π interaction between the in situ formed benzoate ligands attached to neighboring particles. By varying the reaction temperature and the nature of the doping the way the nanobulding blocks assemble in the supercrystals could be controlled. Standard FCC superlattice packings were found together with more unusual ones with P6/mmm and R ̅3m symmetries.