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Updated: Jul 9, 2026

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Synthesis and Characterization of Amphiphilic Gold Nanoparticles
Published on: July 2, 2019
Water-soluble amphiphilic gold nanoparticles with structured ligand shells
Oktay Uzun1, Ying Hu, Ayush Verma
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Summary
Synthesized highly water-soluble gold nanoparticles using a single-step reaction. These mixed monolayer-protected nanoparticles exhibit a unique "rippled" structure, enhancing their solubility for various applications.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
- Surface Chemistry
Background:
- Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are crucial in various fields, but their water solubility often limits applications.
- Mixed monolayer protection offers a route to tune nanoparticle properties.
- Controlling ligand ratios is key to achieving desired characteristics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize highly water-soluble gold nanoparticles with a specific "rippled" morphology.
- To investigate the effect of ligand ratios on nanoparticle properties.
- To establish a facile one-step synthesis method.
Main Methods:
- One-step synthesis of gold nanoparticles.
- Utilized sodium 11-mercaptoundecanesulfonate and octanethiol as capping ligands.
- Varied the molar ratios of the two ligands during synthesis.
Main Results:
- Successfully synthesized highly water-soluble mixed monolayer-protected gold nanoparticles.
- Observed a distinct "rippled" structure in the synthesized nanoparticles.
- Demonstrated that ligand ratios significantly influence water solubility and nanoparticle structure.
Conclusions:
- A straightforward one-step method yields water-soluble "rippled" gold nanoparticles.
- Mixed thiol ligands enable precise control over nanoparticle solubility and morphology.
- These nanoparticles hold potential for applications requiring enhanced aqueous stability.

