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    Optical detection of di- and triphosphate anions with mixed monolayer-protected gold nanoparticles containing zinc(II)–dipicolylamine complexes
    (Frankfurt, Main : Beilstein-Institut zur Förderung der Chemischen Wissenschaften, 2020) Reinke, Lena; Bartl, Julia; Koch, Marcus; Kubik, Stefan
    Gold nanoparticles covered with a mixture of ligands of which one type contains solubilizing triethylene glycol residues and the other peripheral zinc(II)–dipicolylamine (DPA) complexes allowed the optical detection of hydrogenphosphate, diphosphate, and triphosphate anions in water/methanol 1:2 (v/v). These anions caused the bright red solutions of the nanoparticles to change their color because of nanoparticle aggregation followed by precipitation, whereas halides or oxoanions such as sulfate, nitrate, or carbonate produced no effect. The sensitivity of phosphate sensing depended on the nature of the anion, with diphosphate and triphosphate inducing visual changes at significantly lower concentrations than hydrogenphosphate. In addition, the sensing sensitivity was also affected by the ratio of the ligands on the nanoparticle surface, decreasing as the number of immobilized zinc(II)–dipicolylamine groups increased. A nanoparticle containing a 9:1 ratio of the solubilizing and the anion-binding ligand showed a color change at diphosphate and triphosphate concentrations as low as 10 μmol/L, for example, and precipitated at slightly higher concentrations. Hydrogenphosphate induced a nanoparticle precipitation only at a concentration of ca. 400 μmol/L, at which the precipitates formed in the presence of diphosphates and triphosphates redissolved. A nanoparticle containing fewer binding sites was more sensitive, while increasing the relative number of zinc(II)–dipicolylamine complexes beyond 25% had a negative impact on the limit of detection and the optical response. Transmission electron microscopy provided evidence that the changes of the nanoparticle properties observed in the presence of the phosphates were due to a nanoparticle crosslinking, consistent with the preferred binding mode of zinc(II)–dipicolylamine complexes with phosphate anions which involves binding of the anion between two metal centers. This work thus provided information on how the behavior of mixed monolayer-protected gold nanoparticles is affected by multivalent interactions, at the same time introducing a method to assess whether certain biologically relevant anions are present in an aqueous solution within a specific concentration range.
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    Nanoscale Faceting and Ligand Shell Structure Dominate the Self-Assembly of Nonpolar Nanoparticles into Superlattices
    (Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2022) Bo, Arixin; Liu, Yawei; Kuttich, Björn; Kraus, Tobias; Widmer-Cooper, Asaph; de Jonge, Niels
    Self-assembly of nanoscale structures at liquid–solid interfaces occurs in a broad range of industrial processes and is found in various phenomena in nature. Conventional theory assumes spherical particles and homogeneous surfaces, but that model is oversimplified, and nanoscale in situ observations are needed for a more complete understanding. Liquid-phase scanning transmission electron microscopy (LP-STEM) is used to examine the interactions that direct the self-assembly of superlattices formed by gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in nonpolar liquids. Varying the molecular coating of the substrate modulates short-range attraction and leads to switching between a range of different geometric structures, including hexagonal close-packed (hcp), simple hexagonal (sh), dodecahedral quasi-crystal (dqc), and body-centered cubic (bcc) lattices, as well as random distributions. Langevin dynamics simulations explain the experimental results in terms of the interplay between nanoparticle faceting, ligand shell structure, and substrate–NP interactions.
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    Hybrid Dielectric Films of Inkjet-Printable Core-Shell Nanoparticles
    (Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2021) Buchheit, Roman; Kuttich, Björn; González-García, Lola; Kraus, Tobias
    A new type of hybrid core-shell nanoparticle dielectric that is suitable for inkjet printing is introduced. Gold cores (dcore  ≈ 4.5 nm diameter) are covalently grafted with thiol-terminated polystyrene (Mn  = 11000 Da and Mn  = 5000 Da) and used as inks to spin-coat and inkjet-print dielectric films. The dielectric layers have metal volume fractions of 5 to 21 vol% with either random or face-centered-cubic structures depending on the polymer length and grafting density. Films with 21 vol% metal have dielectric constants of 50@1 Hz. Structural and electrical characterization using transmission electron microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, and impedance spectroscopy indicates that classical random capacitor-resistor network models partially describe this hybrid material but fail at high metal fractions, where the covalently attached shell prevents percolation and ensures high dielectric constants without the risk of dielectric breakdown. A comparison of disordered to ordered films indicates that the network structure affects dielectric properties less than the metal content. The applicability of the new dielectric material is demonstrated by formulating inkjet inks and printing devices. An inkjet-printed capacitor with an area of 0.79 mm2 and a 17 nm thick dielectric had a capacitance of 2.2±0.1 nF@1 kHz .