Solubility of gold nanoparticles as a function of ligand shell and alkane solvent

Abstract

The solubility of ca. 5.0 nm gold nanoparticles was studied systematically as a function of ligand shell and solvent. The ligands were octane-, decane-, dodecane- and hexadecanethiols; the solvents were the n-alkanes from hexane to hexadecane and toluene. Supernatant concentrations in equilibrium with precipitated superclusters of nanoparticles were measured at room temperature (23 °C) with UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The solubility of nanoparticles ligated with decane- and dodecanethiol was greatest in n-decane and n-dodecane, respectively. In contrast, the solubility of nanoparticles ligated with octane- and hexadecanethiol showed decreasing solubility with increasing solvent chain length. In addition the solubility of the octanethiol ligated system showed a nonmonotonic solvent carbon number functionality with even numbered solvents being better solvents than neighboring odd numbered solvents.