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Updated: May 31, 2026

Synthesis and Characterization of Amphiphilic Gold Nanoparticles
Published on: July 2, 2019
Mono- and bi-functional arenethiols as surfactants for gold nanoparticles: synthesis and characterization
Floriana Vitale1, Ilaria Fratoddi, Chiara Battocchio
1ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and the Sustainable Economic Development), UTTMATB (Technical Unit of Materials Technologies - Brindisi), Brindisi Research Centre, S,S, 7 Appia km, 706, 72100 Brindisi, Italy. floriana.vitale@enea.it.
Abstract:
Stable gold nanoparticles stabilized by different mono and bi-functional arenethiols, namely, benzylthiol and 1,4-benzenedimethanethiol, have been prepared by using a modified Brust's two-phase synthesis. The size, shape, and crystalline structure of the gold nanoparticles have been determined by high-resolution electron microscopy and full-pattern X-ray powder diffraction analyses. Nanocrystals diameters have been tuned in the range 2 ÷ 9 nm by a proper variation of Au/S molar ratio. The chemical composition of gold nanoparticles and their interaction with thiols have been investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In particular, the formation of networks has been observed with interconnected gold nanoparticles containing 1,4-benzenedimethanethiol as ligand.

