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Controlling the Surface Functionalization of Ultrasmall Gold Nanoparticles by Sequence-Defined Macromolecules
Selina Beatrice van der Meer1, Theresa Seiler2, Christin Buchmann2
1Inorganic Chemistry and Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (CeNIDE), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5-7, 45117, Essen, Germany.
Ultrasmall gold nanoparticles were functionalized with precision macromolecules called oligo(amidoamine)s (OAAs). These OAAs, with or without PEG chains, selectively stabilized the gold nanoparticles, influencing their size.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology and Materials Science
- Supramolecular Chemistry
Background:
- Ultrasmall gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) require effective surface functionalization for stability and controlled properties.
- Precision macromolecules offer tailored functionalities for nanoparticle surface modification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize gold nanoparticles functionalized with sequence-defined oligo(amidoamine)s (OAAs).
- To investigate the influence of OAA structure, including PEGylation, on nanoparticle stabilization and properties.
Main Methods:
- Surface functionalization of 2 nm gold nanoparticles with cysteine-terminated OAAs.
- Characterization using 1H NMR spectroscopy, DOSY, SAXS, HR-TEM, and UV spectroscopy.
- Quantification of ligand density and hydrodynamic diameter determination.
Main Results:
- Successfully functionalized ultrasmall gold nanoparticles with OAAs carrying 2 or 6 cysteine units.
- Determined OAA ligand density (40-100 ligands per nanoparticle) and footprint (0.074 nm²/cysteine).
- PEGylated OAAs significantly increased the hydrodynamic diameter of both free macromolecules and conjugated nanoparticles.
Conclusions:
- Oligo(amidoamine)s are suitable for stabilizing ultrasmall gold nanoparticles via selective surface conjugation.
- The density and PEGylation of OAAs can be precisely controlled to tailor nanoparticle surface properties and size.
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