la502955h_si_001.pdf (727.23 kB)
Nanometric Resolution in the Hydrodynamic Size Analysis of Ligand-Stabilized Gold Nanorods
journal contribution
posted on 2015-12-17, 06:01 authored by Jonathan
G. Mehtala, Alexander WeiThe
stability and hydrodynamic size of ligand-coated gold nanorods
(GNRs; aspect ratio 3.6) have been characterized by nanoparticle tracking
analysis (NTA)a single-particle counting method that can measure
size distributions with low nanometer resolution. Stable aqueous suspensions
of citrate-stabilized GNRs (cit-GNRs) are amenable to surface functionalization
without loss of dispersion control. Cit-GNRs can be treated with chemisorptive
ligands (thiols and dithiocarbamates), nonionic surfactants (Tween
20), and proteins (human serum albumin), all of which produce stable
suspensions at low surfactant concentrations. The precision of NTA
(relative standard deviation 10–12%, standard error <2%)
is sufficient to allow differences in the hydrodynamic size of coated
GNRs to be interpreted in terms of surfactant structure and conformation.