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Morphology-Preserved Alloying in Anisotropic Gold Nanoparticles Using Atomically Precise Nanoclusters.
Amrita Chakraborty1, Sujan Manna1, Biswajit Mondal1
1Department of Chemistry, DST Unit of Nanoscience (DST UNS) and Thematic Unit of Excellence (TUE), Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600 036, India.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|May 3, 2025
Summary
Atomically precise copper nanoclusters (NCs) enable straightforward synthesis of gold-copper alloy nanoparticles with controlled shapes. This method also allows for creating trimetallic nanoparticles, offering versatile precursors for advanced plasmonic applications.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
- Chemistry
Background:
- Noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) possess unique properties enhanced by alloying.
- Synthesizing non-spherical bimetallic NPs with controlled kinetics is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a simple method for creating anisotropic gold-copper alloy nanoparticles.
- To demonstrate the versatility of atomically precise metal nanoclusters as precursors.
Main Methods:
- Solution-phase reaction of a copper nanocluster ([Cu18(DPPE)6H16]2+, Cu18) with gold nanotriangles (AuNTs).
- Extension of the protocol to gold nanorods (AuNRs) and nanocubes (AuNCbs).
- Synthesis of trimetallic gold-copper-silver nanotriangles (AuCuAgNTs) using [Ag25(DMBT)18]- (Ag25).
Main Results:
- Successfully synthesized gold-copper alloy nanotriangles (AuCuNTs) preserving size and sharp edges.
- Demonstrated generality for creating various anisotropic AuCu alloy NPs.
- Confirmed Cu(0) as the predominant species, preventing copper oxidation.
- Achieved facile synthesis of trimetallic anisotropic NPs.
Conclusions:
- Atomically precise metal NCs are effective precursors for tuning plasmonic anisotropic NPs.
- The developed method offers a versatile route to complex alloyed nanostructures.
- This approach meets diverse technological and industrial needs for tailored nanomaterials.
