Formation of stable Ag-nanoparticle aggregates induced by dithiol cross-linking

Aggregation of thiol-stabilized silver nanoparticles induced by 1,6-hexane dithiol was studied in situ by dynamic light scattering. The aggregates were observed to reach a finite size in the 100-200 nm range depending on the applied conditions. Growth kinetics were shown to be linked to the dynamics of the thiol-exchange reaction. A model for the aggregation process was developed on the basis of a simple diffusion-kinetic approach assuming an elementary kinetic reaction at the surfaces and a spherical diffusion field surrounding the aggregates. The rate constant for the thiol exchange reaction was found to vary between 0.6 and 4.0 x 10(-4) s(-1), and the activation energy was 46 +/- 10 kJ mol(-1).