Methods of preserving metal nanophase physicochemical surface properties through chemical modification

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods of preserving physicochemical surface properties of metallic nanophase materials exposed to environmental agents. The methods comprise chemically modifying the metallic nanophase material with a molecular species having a stronger chemical affinity for a metal component of the metallic nanophase material than a chemical affinity of the environmental agent for the metal component. The metallic nanophase material may comprise silver-containing nanomaterials, such as silver-cerium oxide biphasic nanomaterial compositions or silver-modified cerium oxide nanoparticles. The molecular species may be a thiol-containing organic species, such as beta-mercaptoethanol, which may be adsorbed on the surface of the metallic nanophase material via thiol-metal bonding. The methods may protect the metallic nanophase material from oxidation by environmental oxidizing agents, such as amino acids including cysteine. The molecular species may form a film on the surface that prevents oxidant diffusion. The chemical modification may include pre-incubation of the metallic nanophase material in an aqueous solution containing the molecular species.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.