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Issue 2, 2012
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Thermal stabilization of thin gold nanowires by surfactant-coating: a molecular dynamics study†

Stefan E. Huber,*a   Chompunuch Warakulwit,bc   Jumras Limtrakul,bc   Tatsuya Tsukudad  and  Michael Probst*a  
Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

a Institute of Ion Physics and Applied Physics, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, Innsbruck, Austria
E-mail: s.huber@uibk.ac.at, michael.probst@uibk.ac.at

b Chemistry Department, Center of Nanotechnology, and Center for Advanced Studies in Nanotechnology and Its Applications in Chemical, Food and Agricultural Industries, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand

c NANOTEC Center of Excellence, National Nanotechnology Center, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand

d Catalysis Research Center, Hokkaido University, Nishi 10, Kita 21, Sapporo, Japan

Abstract

The thermal stabilization of thin gold nanowires with a diameter of about 2 nm by surfactants is investigated by means of classical molecular dynamics simulations. While the well-known melting point depression leads to a much lower melting of gold nanowires compared to bulk gold, coating the nanowires with surfactants can reverse this, given that the attractive interaction between surfactant molecules and gold atoms lies beyond a certain threshold. It is found that the melting process of coated nanowires is dominated by surface instability patterns, whereas the melting behaviour of gold nanowires in a vacuum is dominated by the greater mobility of atoms with lower coordination numbers that are located at edges and corners. The suppression of the melting by surfactants is explained by the isotropic pressure acting on the gold surface (due to the attractive interaction) which successfully suppresses large-amplitude thermal motions of the gold atoms.

Graphical abstract: Thermal stabilization of thin gold nanowires by surfactant-coating: a molecular dynamics study

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Article information

https://doi.org/10.1039/C1NR11282A
Submitted
12 Sep 2011
Accepted
30 Oct 2011
First published
06 Dec 2011
Nanoscale, 2012,4, 585-590
Article type
Paper
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Thermal stabilization of thin gold nanowires by surfactant-coating: a molecular dynamics study

S. E. Huber, C. Warakulwit, J. Limtrakul, T. Tsukuda and M. Probst, Nanoscale, 2012, 4, 585
DOI: 10.1039/C1NR11282A

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