Thiol terminated monodisperse ethylene oxide oligomer capped gold nanoclusters
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsEdward E Foos, Arthur W Snow
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Abstract
A thiol terminated ethylene oxide oligomer and the method of substituting the oligomer onto a gold nanocluster surface using a thiol-exchange reaction to form a charge-neutral, non-ionizable, water soluble, ethylene oxide protected gold nanocluster. The thiol terminated ethylene oxide oligomer has the formula CH3(OCH2CH2)xSH where x varies from one to ten. Also disclosed is the related method of making the thiol terminated ethylene oxide oligomer.
Claims14
A composition of matter comprising a plurality of nanoclusters each composed of a gold core with a diameter of 0.5 to 10 nm and encapsulated by a monolayer of a thiol terminated ethylene oxide oligomer bonded to surface gold atoms of the gold core with sulfur-gold bonds;
- wherein the thiol terminated ethylene oxide oligomer comprises the formula;
- CH3(OCH2CH2)xSH;
- and
- wherein x is an integer from 1 to 10.
A method of making a gold nanocluster using a thiol terminated ethylene oxide oligomer comprising;
- dissolving an alkanethiol encapsulated gold cluster and the thiol terminated ethylene oxide oligomer in a solvent causing an exchange reaction where a gold core bound alkanethiol ligand is displaced by a thiol terminated ethylene oxide free ligand to form a thiol terminated ethylene oxide oligomer capped gold cluster;
- wherein the thiol terminated ethylene oxide oligomer comprises the formula;
- CH3(OCH2CH2)xSH;
- and
- wherein x is an integer from 1 to 10.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.