Using Aggregation to Chaperone Nanoparticles Across Fluid Interfaces
[1];
[1]
- Department of Physics City University of Hong Kong 83 Tat Chee Avenue Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR China, City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute 8 Yuexing 1st Road, Gaoxin District Shenzhen China
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering City University of Hong Kong 83 Tat Chee Avenue Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR China
- Department of Chemistry The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Road Hong Kong SAR China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Technology School of Petrochemical Engineering Changzhou University Changzhou 213164 China
- Materials Sciences Division Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 1 Cyclotron Road Berkeley CA 94720 USA; Polymer Science and Engineering Department Conte Center for Polymer Research University of Massachusetts 120 Governors Drive Amherst MA 01003 USA; Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering Beijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 China; Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR) Tohoku University 2-1-1 Katahira Aoba; Sendai 980-8577 Japan
Abstract Nanoparticles (NPs) transfer is usually induced by adding ligands to modify NP surfaces, but aggregation of NPs oftentimes hampers the transfer. Here, we show that aggregation during NP phase transfer does not necessarily result in transfer failure. Using a model system comprising gold NPs and amphiphilic polymers, we demonstrate an unusual mechanism by which NPs can undergo phase transfer from the aqueous phase to the organic phase via a single‐aggregation‐single pathway. Our discovery challenges the conventional idea that aggregation inhibits NP transfer and provides an unexpected pathway for transferring larger‐sized NPs (>20 nm). The charged amphiphilic polymers effectively act as chaperons for the NP transfer and offer a unique way to manipulate the dispersion and distribution of NPs in two immiscible liquids. Moreover, by intentionally jamming the NP‐polymer assembly at the liquid/liquid interface, the transfer process can be inhibited.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-05CH11231
- OSTI ID:
- 1995610
- Journal Information:
- Angewandte Chemie, Journal Name: Angewandte Chemie Journal Issue: 38 Vol. 135; ISSN 0044-8249
- Publisher:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- Germany
- Language:
- English
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