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Ionic Liquid Anion Controlled Nanoscale Gold Morphology Grown at a Liquid Interface
Nakara Bhawawet1, Jeremy B Essner1, Durgesh V Wagle1
1Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri-Columbia , Columbia, Missouri 65211, United States.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|May 24, 2017
Summary
Ionic liquids enable controlled synthesis of gold nanoparticles and nanowires via photoreduction. Stronger anion coordination yields smaller, more catalytic gold nanoparticles, while weaker coordination produces gold nanowires.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Catalysis
Background:
- Ionic liquids (ILs) offer tunable properties for nanomaterial synthesis.
- Controlling nanoparticle morphology is crucial for catalytic applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of ionic liquid anion coordination strength in gold nanomaterial synthesis.
- To explore the use of ILs in a biphasic system for photoreduction of gold.
Main Methods:
- Preparation of two ionic liquids: tetrabutylphosphonium with 6-aminocaproate ([P4444][6-AC]) or taurinate ([P4444][tau]) anions.
- Photoreduction of Au(OH)4- in an aqueous/organic liquid bilayer system.
- Varying IL concentration and anion coordination strength to control gold morphology.
Main Results:
- Increased IL concentration led to smaller, less aggregated gold nanoparticles with enhanced catalytic activity.
- Biphasic interfacial reduction was essential for stable, highly active nanoparticles.
- Weakly coordinating anions ([Tf2N]) resulted in gold nanowires, demonstrating anion-induced morphological control.
Conclusions:
- The coordination strength of the IL anion significantly dictates gold nanomaterial morphology.
- This method provides a straightforward route to controllably synthesize plasmonic colloids for catalysis and sensing.
