Synthetic strategies for the surface functionalisation of gold nanoparticles with metals and metal clusters

Abstract

The reaction of the new ditopic thiol-phosphine compound HS(CH₂)₁₁OOCC₆H₄PPh₂ (L) with an excess of dodecanethiol-protected gold nanoparticles gave the asymmetric gold complex [CH₃(CH₂)₁₁SAuPPh₂C₆H₄COO(CH₂)₁₁SH] (4), but no phosphine-protected gold nanoparticles were formed. However, by blocking the phosphine function in L with metal fragments, we have been able to produce gold nanoparticles functionalised with AuCl- and cluster [Fe₂(CO)₇Au] units on the surface by the method of ligand-place exchange reaction.