Grafting and coloring onto silver nanoparticles by photoinduced surface modification

Surface modification of metal nanostructures can create multifunctional materials potentially very useful in many application fields and, consequently, has been the subject of intensive studies. This work reported the modification of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) by UV-induced interface reactions, a method controllable in both the color and the surface chemistry of the nanoparticles. Using poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) as the protecting polymer, Ag NPs were synthesized in ethanol and then mixed with alpha-bromoisobutyric acid (BIBA). When the mixture is exposed to UV irradiation, Ag NPs present themselves in a serial tone from pale blue to blue, dark blue, and finally purple with the progress of the interface reactions. It is shown that these color changes are directly related to the chemical components on the surface of Ag NPs, and hence the correlation of the colors with the chemical states of main components on the surface of Ag NPs has been made during the course of interface reactions.