Self-assembly of silver nanoparticles in a polymer solvent: formation of a nanochain through nanoscale soldering

By exploiting the orientation of the polymer methoxy polyethylene glycol (MPEG), directional growth of silver particles has been obtained in the presence of ultraviolet irradiation for the first time. MPEG generates free radicals, serves as the reducing agent in presence of ultraviolet irradiation towards the silver ions, and also acts as the template for the silver particles involved in the formation of a silver chain.

[1]  L. Huo,et al.  Particulate multilayers prepared from surfactant-stabilized SnO2 nanoparticles , 1999 .

[2]  H. Ahmed,et al.  Single electron transistor using a molecularly linked gold colloidal particle chain , 1997 .

[3]  D. Fitzmaurice,et al.  Self‐Assembly and Subsequent Self‐Organization of a Semiconductor Nanocrystallite Superlattice , 1997 .

[4]  G. Schmid,et al.  Clusters and colloids : from theory to applications , 1994 .

[5]  R. P. Andres,et al.  Coulomb Staircase at Room Temperature in a Self-Assembled Molecular Nanostructure , 1996, Science.

[6]  M. El-Sayed,et al.  Some interesting properties of metals confined in time and nanometer space of different shapes. , 2001, Accounts of chemical research.

[7]  Jiwen Zheng,et al.  Nanopatterned Assembling of Colloidal Gold Nanoparticles on Silicon , 2000 .

[8]  H. Müller,et al.  Clusters and Colloids — From Theory to Application , 1995 .

[9]  A. Alivisatos,et al.  Light-emitting diodes made from cadmium selenide nanocrystals and a semiconducting polymer , 1994, Nature.

[10]  C. Mirkin,et al.  Photoinduced Conversion of Silver Nanospheres to Nanoprisms , 2001, Science.

[11]  Robert W. Boyd,et al.  Optical Properties of Nanostructured Optical Materials , 1996 .

[12]  Cherie R. Kagan,et al.  Self-Organization of CdSe Nanocrystallites into Three-Dimensional Quantum Dot Superlattices , 1995, Science.

[13]  A. Henglein.  The Reactivity of Silver Atoms in Aqueous Solutions (A γ‐Radiolysis Study) , 1977 .

[14]  D. Fornasiero,et al.  The kinetics of electrolyte induced aggregation of carey lea silver colloids , 1991 .

[15]  L. Nicolais,et al.  Preparation and characterization of nano-sized Ag/PVP composites for optical applications , 2000 .

[16]  J. Wang,et al.  Self-assembly of length-tunable gold nanoparticle chains in organic solvents , 2003 .

[17]  Heath,et al.  Crystallization of opals from polydisperse nanoparticles. , 1995, Physical review letters.

[18]  Weidong Yang,et al.  Shape control of CdSe nanocrystals , 2000, Nature.