Nano-impacts of bifunctional organic nanoparticles

The synthesis and characterization of Oil Blue Dye nanoparticles is reported along with their use for nano-impacts experiments in aqueous solution. The latter reveal current spikes corresponding to quantitative two electron reductions due to the reduction of the quinone groups and quantitative two electron oxidations from the 1,4-phenylenediamine groups presented in the Oil Blue Dye molecules within the nanoparticles. In both cases, the oxidation or reduction leads to size distributions in good agreement with independent measurements made using dynamic light scattering showing that the redox events accompanying the nano-impacts lead to the full dissolution of the nanoparticles.