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Published on: February 11, 2016
Reactions of alkyl-radicals with gold and silver nanoparticles in aqueous solutions
Tomer Zidki1, Haim Cohen, Dan Meyerstein
1Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Abstract:
Silver and gold nanoparticles are very efficient catalysts for the dimerization of methyl-radicals in aqueous solutions. The rate constants for the reaction of methyl-radicals with the gold and silver nanoparticles were measured and found to be 3.7 x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1) and 1.4 x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1), respectively. The results thus suggest that alkyl-radicals, also not reducing ones, are scavenged by these nanoparticles. This might explain the role, if such a role exists, of these nanoparticles in medical applications.
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